Keypoints:
- Karua confirms 2027 presidential campaign
- Accuses Ruto of corruption and police abuse
- Vows to cut debt and restore accountability
KENYAN opposition leader Martha Karua has officially thrown her hat into the ring for the 2027 presidential election, delivering a scathing critique of President William Ruto’s leadership. In an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP), Karua accused the government of presiding over widespread corruption, police violence, and economic collapse.
‘We are in total disarray. It’s as if our constitution has been suspended,’ she told AFP in Nairobi, calling out the breakdown of governance and erosion of public trust.
Karua, who previously served as justice minister under President Mwai Kibaki in the 2000s, said her priority as president
would be to fix the economy by tackling graft and reigning in Kenya’s ballooning public debt.
Debt burden and corrup
tion take centre stage
Karua highlighted Kenya’s current debt load of around $85bn, warning that the country now spends more on interest payments than on health or education.
‘Fighting corruption is the only lifeline we have,’ she said. ‘Otherwise, whatever we collect, whatever we borrow, will still be lost and we will never be able to pull Kenyans out of their misery.’
Karua resigned from the Kibaki administration in 2009 over resistance to anti-graft reforms and is now part of a broad opposition coalition manoeuvring for the 2027 vote. Despite some allies having questionable records, she said unity was necessary to challenge what she described as a lawless regime.
‘The task of dislodging a government that does not play by the rules is a mammoth task. We need all hands,’ she said, adding that it was ultimately up to the public to decide who was best positioned to lead.
Police killings and impunity
Karua also condemned state violence during protests against tax hikes and corruption last year. Rights groups say at least 60 people were killed in June and July, with dozens abducted or still missing.
‘We have abductions, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings. And the police and authorities fail to take responsibility,’ she said.
The presidency has denied involvement, telling AFP that such incidents fall under the jurisdiction of the police. A spokesman dismissed Karua’s remarks, accusing her of peddling lies as she did in the run-up to the 2022 election.
‘They lost it because they believed in their own lies. They are headed for a similar and more resounding defeat,’ the spokesman said.
Election fears and voter mobilisation
Karua, who was Raila Odinga’s running mate in the last election, expressed concerns that the 2027 vote could be marred by unrest and manipulation, as has happened in past elections. She accused Ruto of using public funds to hire gangs to intimidate opposition supporters — most recently at a rally in Nairobi that saw muggings and attacks on bystanders.
‘Ruto was a great mistake right from the start,’ she said. ‘Those of us who have worked with him and know him knew that he would be a disaster.’
Still, she believes that overwhelming voter turnout can beat any attempt at rigging. ‘The only way we can overcome Ruto’s manipulation of the electoral system is to have a flood of votes — overwhelming numbers which no amount of manipulation can work on,’ she told AFP.
Karua concluded with a warning that unless the current government is removed, public money will continue to be misused ‘at the expense of vital services like health, education and security’.
