Martha Wangari Karua is a Kenyan Politician, lawyer, the Narc Kenya party leader, and now Raila Odinga’s running mate in the forthcoming presidential elections. She is well known for expressing her thoughts, regardless of the consequences.
As a result, Karua is known as Kenya’s Iron Lady. This tag was given to her because of her fearlessness. She had previously walked out on two sitting presidents and resigned from a high-ranking job, including minister of justice, cohesion, and constitutional issues.
Karua isn’t known for smiling in public. “I like a good chuckle just like everybody else,” she says when asked about it. “But I’m not going to laugh over individuals stealing the country.” I’m not going to laugh at those who are denied essential care, which can result in fatalities.”
“Life is for the bold; those who try. You never can win without trying“- Martha Karua.
Martha Karua Age and Birth
On September 22, 1957, she was born. Karua has attained the age of 65 as of 2022.
Martha Karua Family
Karua is the second of eight children, four boys, and four girls. Her mother, Josephine Wanjiru Karua, was a teacher before she married and was forced to leave her career.
Martha Karua is the mother of two grown children, a son, and a daughter. She explained how she drove her children to school and played an important role in their development. In addition, the previous Gichugu MP used to take them out for other recreational activities such as swimming and golfing.
Martha Karua Education
She attended several primary schools before enrolling at Karoti Girls in Kirinyaga. Karua studied law at the University of Nairobi from 1977 to 1980, then moved on to the Kenya School of Law for a postgraduate diploma.
Martha Career
Karua served as a district magistrate in Nakuru and Makadara from the early 1980s to 1987. She later worked at Kibra Law Courts as a senior resident magistrate. She resigned from her position to pursue private practice because of the alleged totalitarian KANU leadership, which had declared Kenya a one-party state.
President Daniel Moi’s government, according to Karua, was gradually gaining power and alienating key socio-political groups such as the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU). She was concerned that the next target would be the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), which would be harmful to Kenya’s battle for justice.
Karua is most known as an advocate for defending veteran politician Koigi wa Wamwere, who was charged with treason for defying the government.
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Martha Karua Politics
Karua was daring enough to run for the Gichugu Constituency seat during the 1992 multiparty excitement. She was, however, forced to quit Kenneth Matiba’s FORD Asili party due to charges of being shortchanged on the party’s ticket.
She switched allegiances to Mwai Kibaki’s Democratic Party (DP) and won the seat. She was the region’s representative for nearly two decades.
Walking out on President Moi
Karua’s most dramatic moment came when she stormed out of President Moi’s event in June 2001, having cut her political teeth in the opposition trenches. The head of state had called a fundraiser in Kerugoya, which was seen as a stronghold of the opposition.
Despite the fact that most opposition leaders avoided the ceremony, Karua chose to attend and sat next to the president. Some KANU politicians, on the other hand, irritated her by criticizing the opposition.
“One of the local chairmen began disparaging the opposition, even suggesting that we were insane to think Kenya could ever be ruled from Othaya (referring to Kibaki’s ambition).” In a previous interview, she stated, “I thought that was in really horrible taste.”
And the iron lady was not about to take it lying down, as she wanted to address the crowd right away. Her intentions, however, have met a roadblock. But, as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and Karua left the celebration as soon as President Moi rose to speak.
For a brief time, there was deafening quiet as she waved to the throng on her way out.
Karua served as minister of water and in the justice, cohesion, and constitutional issues docket after KANU’s government ended. In 2009, she resigned from the latter position, blaming President Kibaki and former Chief Justice Evans Gicheru for sabotaging judicial reform efforts.
Karua ran for president of the country in 2013 but lost. In the Kirinyaga gubernatorial election of 2017, she was defeated by Anne Waiguru. She had previously walked out of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s political gathering in 2016 after an angry audience hushed her with chants of ‘jubilee,’ effectively drowning out her voice.
Deputy President William Ruto intervened by requesting that she leave the Narc – Kenya party. She, on the other hand, protested the move and left the gathering.
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Karua 2022 General Elections
On Monday 16 May, Martha Karua was named Raila Odinga’s running mate in his 2022 presidential bid that he is seeking via Azimio-One Kenya Coalition Party Ticket. The Azimio duo will run against that of Kenya Kwanza which has William Ruto and Rigathi Gachagua.
Her candidacy is expected to aid the coalition in reducing Kenya Kwanza’s clout in the Mount Kenya region. Mount Kenya Region is believed to play a key role in deciding who rules the country, wielding over 5 Million registered voters.
