People's Liberation Party leader Martha Karua has revealed that she will not be a running mate to any presidential candidate in the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during an interview on Monday, March 10, Karua explained that she had already taken up the position in 2022 under the Azimio ticket, revealing that was her last.
She added that she was only interested in being the presidential flag bearer.
However, should the opposition alliance, which includes former DP Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Fred Matiang'i, settle on another candidate, Karua expressed that she would support them.
"Being a running mate ended in 2022. I have said that people should stop thinking that running mate is my middle name. That is not my name," she stated.
"I am vying for the presidency. However, Kenya is bigger than my ambitions. In the opposition faction, should another candidate be chosen, I will support them, but I will not be in that ticket. I do not want to be a running mate."
Karua is among the notable leaders that have been strategizing on uniting with opposition parties to field one candidate against Ruto in the 2027 polls.
Apart from Karua, Kalonzo, Matiang'i, and DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa have expressed interest in the seat.
Her remarks come in the wake of several Political alignments in the Country.
President William Ruto recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, bringing the ODM party into a working partnership with the Kenya - Kwanza administration.
The deal, signed at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) on Friday, March 7, outlines several commitments between the two leaders, including the full implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report, tackling youth unemployment and enforcing the two-thirds gender rule.
“Priority issues in the NADCO report like the cost of living, youth unemployment, establishing a framework for the implementation of the two-thirds gender rule have been the topic of discussion for far too long and now must be actualized,” the agreement reads in part.
Ruto and Raila also agreed on the inclusivity of all Kenyans regardless of ethnicity, religion, and geographic location.
" Kenya belongs to all persons regardless of their ethnicity, religion or geographic location, all Kenyans are equal and all entitled to an equitable budgetary resource allocation and public appointments,” the MoU stated.
The two agreed on protecting and strengthening devolution in the country by ensuring more effort is put into devolving all funds allocated to a devolved function, increasing budgetary allocation to counties and ensuring the timely and predictable disbursement of devolved funds.
President Ruto and the former Prime Minister further agreed to promote and protect the livelihoods of young people by ensuring the government makes massive investments in all high-potential sectors of the economy including Mining, blue economy, Agriculture, and ICT, to create sufficient employment opportunities that provide ways for young people to earn a decent living.
At the same time, the two leaders agreed that the expression of opulence and rudeness by public officers must come to an end.
“Kenyans are concerned by the expression of opulence accompanied by rude and arrogant conduct of public officers. And the impunity that has followed the same. It must be enforced that the demeanor of public servants needs to reflect the dignity of their offices. We must also urgently provide a legal framework for addressing conflict of interest among public servants,” the memorandum stated.
Further, they agreed on the right to peaceful assembly and protest and compensation for all pending claims of abuse of rights.
They noted that efforts to uphold the right to assembly must now involve not just the taking of responsibilities by officers who break the law but also compensation of the victims.
On the national debt, Raila and Ruto agreed that an urgent audit must be conducted of how much has been borrowed in the past and how it has been used.
“Going forward we must stop the ballooning of the national debt and ensure accountability for future borrowing,” the memorandum added.
Additionally, Ruto and Raila agreed to enhance the fight against corruption, stopping the wastage of government resources and protecting the sovereignty of the people, the rule of law, and constitutionalism.
