People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has declared she will not be a running mate in the upcoming 2027 general elections, vowing to go all in as a presidential candidate.
Speaking on Friday, February 27, 2026, during an interview with a local media house, Karua explained her next steps in the case if she loses in the elections.
On her part, Karua explained that if she is not nominated as a presidential candidate by a coalition, she will run independently.
“I’m not willing to be someone’s running mate. But in the event that I’m not nominated, I am a presidential aspirant myself. Ruto is a sitting president; I am a standing president,” Karua said.
In addition, Karua affirmed her support for whoever is selected if she misses the top position in the 2027 general elections but maintains she will not deputise anyone.
“If I am not selected, I am willing to one hundred per cent support whoever is selected in accordance with the systems we are going to put in place. This means if I miss that position, I will not deputise anyone,” Karua added.
In 2025, Karua officially declared her intention to run for the presidency in the 2027 General Election. She has, however, promised that she will serve only a single term if elected.
Speaking during the party’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) Friday, Karua said her decision was not driven by personal ambition but by a deep devotion to public service and the need to restore trust in Kenya’s democratic institutions.
“Today, before you, I declare my candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic of Kenya in the next General Election under the banner of the People’s Liberation Party and within a united opposition,” she announced.
She added, “We make this declaration not out of mere ambition for office, but out of devotion to service.”
Karua went on to state that her leadership agenda could be achieved within five years, arguing that no leader can fully solve Kenya’s challenges in a single tenure, but a firm foundation can be laid.
“I believe that in five years it is possible to lay a foundation. Nobody will ever finish the job of making Kenya prosperous. You lay a foundation, and you wait for the next team to further it. So, I want to open by saying, “I’ll be seeking one term,” she said.
