Karua: I still believe I won Kirinyaga gubernatorial race in 2017
People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has stated that she still holds a firm belief that she was the rightful winner of the 2017 Kirinyaga gubernatorial election, even though her opponent, Anne Waiguru, was declared victorious.
Waiguru won the Kirinyaga gubernatorial seat in the 2017 general elections on the Jubilee Party ticket. She made history by becoming one of the first three female governors elected in Kenya, alongside Joyce Laboso (Bomet) and Charity Ngilu (Kitui).
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Waiguru was declared the winner after garnering 161,343 votes against Karua’s 122,091 votes.
Karua has affirmed that rather than taking to the streets or inciting unrest, she chose to seek justice through the courts — the only path she described as lawful and dignified.
Speaking during an interview with a local radio station on Thursday, July 24, 2025, Karua said that her personal experience with contested election outcomes taught her the importance of restraint, respect for institutions, and the power of the judiciary, even in its imperfections.
She added that although she was deeply pained by the outcome, her conscience would not allow her to respond with violence or vengeance.
“Once an election result has been declared, there is not much else that can happen. You go to court. I have been hurt deeply. I still believe I won the Kirinyaga governor race in 2017. But it was Anne Waiguru who was announced. So what did I do? I did not pick pangas and hoes to fight her. I went to court. Yes. Because that is the only way. It is not the perfect way, but it is the only available way,” she said.
Karua added that her path has always been one of lawful resistance, and that her decision to walk into the courts rather than mobilise protests remains one of her proudest affirmations of democratic principles.
Kibaki swearing in
The PLP leader also addressed her involvement in the controversial swearing-in of former President Mwai Kibaki in 2007, saying she had no regrets whatsoever about witnessing the ceremony, despite the chaos that surrounded it.
“I have absolutely no regret also in having been a witness in the overnight swearing-in of Mwai Kibaki. Not at all,” she stated firmly. “Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner of that election. Who else could have been sworn in after being declared the winner?”
She challenged narratives that sought to question Kibaki’s legitimacy, pointing out that the electoral commission chairman, despite expressing doubts, ultimately declared Kibaki the victor.
“The chairman said he did not know who the rightful winner was — yes, he said that — but he later on declared Kibaki the winner. Once you are declared, you must be sworn in,” she explained.
Karua said this principle remains true across all elections, including the most recent one in 2022, where she and ODM leader Raila Odinga disputed the outcome that favoured President William Ruto, but again chose to petition the matter before the Supreme Court.
“That is exactly what Raila and I did when Ruto defeated us,” she noted. “And that is what Raila has also done in every election except the one in 2007.”
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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