The party plans to do so by amending its Constitution in a move that will bar her from vying for the position of party leader.
Four months after she led the NARC-Kenya party out of the Azimio la Umoja coalition, Martha Karua has revealed plans to rebrand and renew the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party plans to do so by amending its Constitution in a move that will bar her from vying for the position of party leader. Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, November 28, Karua revealed that the party wants to change its Constitution to allow term limits for top leadership posts.
“The party delegates have permitted us to amend our party constitution. We wish to be the first party in Kenya to have term limits for the top leadership of the party, meaning that in the next party elections, I will not be eligible to contest,” Karua revealed.
Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua (center) in company of former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana (left), Asha Bashir, Ekuru Aukot, John Kamau and Mukisa Kituyi (right). /NARC KENYA
“We must grow leadership because we must mirror the term limits in our national Constitution to our political parties so that we stop being perpetual leaders of political parties. When there is perpetuity and personalizing of leadership, then we are not able to search and grow other leaders.”
In addition, Karua has announced major changes to the party as she gears up for the 2027 elections. This will entail plans to have the party rebrand including changing its name and color.
“Narc-Kenya is rebranding, Narc-Kenya is changing its name, we are changing party colours, but we are waiting for the process at the registrar of political parties to come to a close,” the party leader revealed.
Karua revealed that as they await the registrar of political parties, the party’s national delegates have begun the process of rebranding.
With regards to the exit from Azimio, the party’s National Delegates Convention(NDC) meeting had seen delegates officially endorse the party’s exit from the Azimio coalition after the 90-day notice elapsed, a move that came after months of low-key clashes in the coalition.
The NDC argued that the Azimio affiliate parties no longer hold a similar vision following the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party’s move to join the Kenya Kwanza government in the broad-based government plan.
“We entered into Azimio to liberate Kenyans from the ills bedevilling the country, when Azimio’s purpose changed through its leadership who are the majority in the coalition, Narc-Kenya has deliberated and exit. We have moved, we are no longer in the Azimio coalition,” Karua confirmed.
NARC-Kenya’s exit from Azimio, according to Karua on Thursday, July 25, was informed by prevailing political developments which made its stay in Azimio untenable. This came after Karua served as the presidential running mate to Raila Odinga during the 2022 general elections.
Her announcement came in the backdrop of political turbulence within the Azimio la Umoja Coalition over courting the Kenya Kwanza government, one the coalition had opposed for close to two years, and even before they lost the 2022 general elections.
To be specific, President William Ruto poached some top members from ODM into cabinet positions in the Kenya Kwanza government, in a bid to form a broad-based government.
Ruto appointed ODM deputy leaders Ali Hassan Joho, Wycliffe Oparanya, National Assembly Minority Whip Opiyo Wandayi, and national chairman John Mbadi.
