Manyora: Martha Karua still has a realistic shot at the presidency
By Mabonga Makhanu, June 29, 2026Political analyst Herman Manyora has cautioned Kenyans against ruling out the possibility of PLP party leader Martha Karua becoming Kenya’s next president.
Speaking during his daily political analysis on his YouTube channel on Monday, June 29, 2026, the outspoken professor said it would not come as a surprise if Karua eventually became president. According to Manyora, Karua is among the few leaders with the ability to transform the country for the better.
“Something can happen and you find Martha Karua in House.”
He argued that the odds have been stacked against the former justice minister for many years due to factors such as tribal politics and the politics of regional kingpins, which have worked against her presidential ambitions. However, Manyora maintained that Karua has always had a realistic chance of winning the presidency in previous elections.
He added that he believes if Karua were given an opportunity to serve in any leadership capacity, she would bring meaningful change to the country.
“Martha Karua has a bigger constituency. It is just the nature of our politics that has been unfair to her. We play kings in politics, tribal politics, politics less with ethnicity, and big family politics. She’s been a victim of that, but everybody knows Malakarua. It’s and you don’t even want a job; we work for a job.”
Karua’s presidential quest
Manyora’s remarks come at a time when Martha Karua has expressed interest in vying for the presidency in the 2027 general election. As one of the conveners of the United Opposition, she has indicated that she is willing to support whichever candidate is eventually chosen to fly the coalition’s presidential flag in a bid to unseat President William Ruto.
However, Karua has consistently maintained that her personal ambition is the presidency and that she will not accept the position of running mate, as she did during the 2022 General Election. She has also stated that if elected president, she would serve for only one term to set a precedent that there is nothing wrong with a Kenyan president voluntarily serving a single term before handing over power.
Karua’s Ugandan detention
Manyora also slammed Ugandan authorities over how they recently handled Martha Karua when she attempted to enter the country. He criticised the decision to detain her for several hours incommunicado before deporting her back to Kenya and declaring her persona non grata.
According to Manyora, Karua’s detention was unlawful, unnecessary and uncalled for. He argued that the former justice minister had no intention of causing any harm to Uganda or the government of President Yoweri Museveni and should have been treated with the respect accorded to a senior lawyer and political leader.
He maintained that the manner in which the Ugandan authorities handled the incident raised concerns about respect for the rule of law and the treatment of regional leaders within the East African Community.