Martha Karua

Martha Wangari Karua is a Kenyan lawyer, Senior Counsel, human rights advocate, and veteran politician. Born on 22 September 1957 in Kimunye Village, Gichugu Constituency, Kirinyaga County, she studied law at the University of Nairobi and later trained at the Kenya School of Law before pursuing an MBA at USIU-Africa. Karua entered Parliament in 1992 as the Member of Parliament for Gichugu and served until 2013. During her political career, she held several Cabinet positions, including Minister for Water Resources Management and Development and Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs. She is widely recognized for her strong stance on the rule of law, constitutionalism, anti-corruption, human rights, and good governance. In 2022, she made history as the first woman to be nominated as a running mate on a major presidential ticket in Kenya alongside Raila Odinga. She currently leads the People's Liberation Party (PLP), formerly NARC–Kenya, and has declared her intention to contest the 2027 presidential election on the party's ticket.