Former Gichugu MP Martha Karua is among the country’s experienced female politicians in the country.
The vocal former MP has also been taunted as among the fearless, confident and firm politicians.Karua has never shied away from speaking her mind often rubbing shoulders with big political bigwigs in the country.Here are facts you didn’t know about Martha Karua.
1. Family
Karua was born on September 22, 1957, in Gichugu, Kirinyaga district now the Kirinyaga County.
She is the second child in a family of eight, four boys and four girls.
2. Schooling The former Gichugu MP attended Kabare Boarding school and later Kiburia Girls High School.
She did her East African Certificate Examination at Karoti Girls High school.
3. Graduate In 1977, Karua enrolled for a Bachelor’s Degree in Law at the University of Nairobi.
She graduated in 1980 before proceeding to Kenya School of Law between 1980 and 1981 for her post-graduate certificate.
She was admitted to the bar as an Advocate of the High Court in December 1981.
4. Magistrate Between 1981 and 1987, Karua worked as a Magistrate in various law courts (Makadara, Nakuru, and Kibera).
She later quit the magistrate job to start her own law firm, Martha Karua and Co. Advocates.
5. Politics
Karua joined politic sin 1990 and was part of politicians and leaders who agitated for the introduction of many parties.
Karua and others were successful when the then president Daniel Arap Moi agreed to repeal section 2A of the constitution to allow for a multi-party state.
In the 1992 general election, Karua won the Gichugu parliamentary seat, becoming the first woman lawyer to go to parliament.
She won the seat on Democratic Party of Kenya (DP) Karua took part in various reforms that pushed for constitutional change.
In 2002, Karua ganged up with the likes of ODM party leader Raila Odinga to end retired president Daniel Arap Moi’s 24-year rule in the famous generation election under NARC.
6. Minister In 2008 Karua was appointed as Justice Constitutional Affairs Minister just after the disputed 2007 presidential election that led loss of lives, displacement of communities and destruction of property.
Karua had earlier served as water and Natural resources Minister in 2003 under former president Mwai Kibaki.
7. Presidency
In 2013, Karua unsuccessfully contested for the presidential seat on her NARC Kenya party.
She emerged sixth in the presidential election that President Uhuru Kenyatta won.
In 2017, Karua unsuccessfully contested for the Kirinyaga gubernatorial seat losing to Anne Waiguru.
8. Activist
Karua is a human rights activist and concentrates on issues touching on women. Karua is also among founders of the Federation of Women Lawyers and the league of Women.
9. Believer
The former lawmaker is a staunch Christian.
Karua is expected to play a crucial role in the 2022 Mt Kenya succession politics.