Minister for Justice, National Cohesion, and Constitutional Affairs Martha Karua of Kenya

As a woman in a powerful political position, Ms Karua has been subjected to sexist, misogynistic and ethnic slurs as well as all manner of abuses that our women leaders face.

Ms Karua is not alone as a target of the criticisms.

Ms Karua has very admirable qualities which should be the envy of any Kenyan politician.

Ms Karua has political ambitious, too.

Nairobi Known as a bare-knuckle fighter who gives or takes no quarter, especially in her battles with the press, Ms Martha Karua is striving to craft for herself a softer and kinder image.

On Wednesday night Ms Karua was launching a website that displays a conciliatory figure and consensus builder keen to seek alliances across the Kenya political spectrum rather than one stuck in the old quest for leadership within ethnic groupings.

Ever since she announced her intention early this year to succeed President Kibaki, who still has four years to serve, Ms Karua has been on the move, travelling to different parts of the country and building bridges to politicians she would have been fighting not too long ago.

Bravo Graca Machel! It seems Martha Karua is not aware of where she is heading.

Martha Karua is being advised by Kikuyu Mafia to go the direction she is heading to not knowing that Kenya belongs to wananchi and not the few rich mafia.

Karua was a member of the opposition political movements that successfully agitated for the reintroduction of multi-party democracy in Kenya in the early 1990s.

Karua is currently the Minister of Justice, National Cohesion Constitutional Affairs.

In 1991 Karua was recognized by Human Rights Watch as a human rights monitor, and in 1999 the Kenya Section of the International Commission of Jurists awarded her the 1999 Kenya Jurist of the Year.

Karua remained Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister in the Cabinet appointed by Kibaki on January 8, 2008, following the controversial December 2007 election.

Asked to clarify, Karua said that she was stating "categorically" that the ODM planned ethnic cleansing.

In the Grand Coalition Cabinet that was announced on April 13, 2008, Karua remained in her post as Minister of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs.

Karua said that when she did not feel she needed the guards, she did not use them.

I HAVE COME FROM VERY FAR,NOW I WANT TO HIT ON THE NAIL:Martha Karua was a major defence captain in the Kibaki troops when he was about to throw in the towel and concede defeat,during this time George Nyamweya was a loser somewhere in his constituency and was nursing the wounds inflicted to him by his constituent's votes,in this time he never was a challenge to anti-Kibaki forces,when i saw the other day on TV George Nyamweya giving an ultimatum to PNU affiliates either to comply with their plan to assimilate affiliates to one PNU party or face the axe from their respective constituency offices,i was wondering how on earth he would have the audacity to dare people who had been given a mandate by their constituents unlike him who was nominated to parliament,secondly i was astonished that he would do that even to those people who had fought for Kibaki to maintain his stay in office when he was almost shown the door!you know sometimes people can play God and that is very very bad!!!AND.

CommentsRSS for comments on this Hub Susan Karanjasays:4 months agoMartha Karua has thankfully decided to redo her website under a better domain name I believe.

Susan Karanjasays:4 months agoMartha Karua has thankfully decided to redo her website under a better domain name I believe.

With Annan realizing that Karua was playing constitution games when Kenya was in crisis, he pushed Raila and Kibaki to a Hotel in Nyeri where the deal was signed.

Martha Karua is also a candidate but the fact that she is unmarried disqualifies her.

Ms Karua is the embodiment of political suave.

Martha Karua is struggling hard not to be swallowed up by the House of Pharaoh.

Martha Karua has done a wonderful job.

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The good thing about Martha Karua is that she can be a very safe enemy to have.

I believe this because for starters, Martha Karua is one of those few women politicians who have fought along side men and won elective politics in a very male chauvinistic environment.

Kenya region, a region whose new generation of political leaders are now irreparably steeped in new corruption, yet Martha Karua has remained unscathed in the middle of this mess.

More importantly Martha Karua was not tainted in any way in the eyes of the public or in the confidential dossiers John Githongo had heaped on the President's desk before his abrupt departure to London.

Thirdly, Martha Karua had demonstrated that she had learnt to swim with the sharks and was not only streetwise but equally street-smart.

One of them was that Martha Karua was no longer an ordinary member of the Cabinet.

Karua is aware that if the judicial process has to regain its glory and respect in the eyes of the public, it is her responsibility as Minister for Justice to help restore that lost respect and public trust by any means necessary.

However, Karua is acutely aware that whereas she can order the prosecution of non- cabinet ministers with impunity, even if some of them have been his close allies, she must at the same time weigh the consequences of attempting or even contemplating dragging the President and his vice along.

The other possible compelling reason why Karua has turned the heat on Anglo Leasing and Goldenberg bandits is the fact that, given a choice between Kiraitu Murungi, David Mwiraria, Chris Murungaru, George Saitoti or Moody Awori and Mwai Kibaki, she would rather sacrifice them all if for nothing else but to repair the reputation of the President and save his legacy.

Like her or hate her, Minister Martha Karua is probably one of the most decisive and action oriented members of the Kibaki government today.

He, like Karua has somehow listened to the voices of ordinary Kenyans.

And this is where Martha Karua comes in as Minister for Justice.

I was told that things have been thick again this morning over there and Martha Karua has questions the legality of Annan in Kenya asking that he should leave.

Speaking to journalists at a Nairobi hotel, Ms Karua said that the Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill no 2 of 2008 that creates an Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IEEC) would be ready for debate in Parliament next week.

Meanwhile, Ms Karua has said that the 10-member committee established to spearhead implementation of the Waki Report had not reached an agreement contrary to media reports.

NAIROBI, September 11 Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua has said her presidential ambitions will not affect her job of spearheading the constitution review process.

Speaking at a meeting with media representatives, Karua remained optimistic that a new constitution would be in place by November 2009.

The website outlines her political career which Karua says will let Kenyans get to know her better.

Kenyas Justice Minister Martha Karua is escorted out of Serena hotel where negotiations are taking place in Nairobi February 26, 2008.

Karua said host communities in areas where people were evicted did not harbour ill intentions.

Picture by Peter Ochieng Karua was addressing more than 7,000 IDPs camping at the Eldoret Showground when she visited them.

Karua said it was time Kenyans held politicians responsible for the ills they propagate at the expense of the poor.

Potential Head of State Martha Karua is among ‘eminents’ who have not been subjected to a know-your-wanna-be-president interrogation by the media.

During the presidential election dispute, Karua was among PNU supporters who uttered, "Go to court" countless times to those who craved truth and peace, with justice.

Karua has not said she wants to be rewarded for rescuing the Kibaki administration, but she is entering the episode in her resume to illustrate her courage to dare where men fear to tread.

Karua is also among politicians who insist there will be no blanket amnesty for those suspected of involvement in post-election violence.

To be fair, before Kibaki became president on December 30, 2002, Karua was among the queens of the struggle for multi-party democracy.

In 1997 Karua was among lobbyists for the Inter-Parties Parliamentary Group accord that saw incremental changes that altered the composition of the Electoral Commission.

As its advocate in 1997, Karua had a perfect opportunity to expand, and even initiate the legislation of the IPPG deal, but she did not.

Karua is believed to fish for defamation in media references to her, even on issues germane to her official duties.

Martha Karua is a true success story for women.

exactly been the patron saint of decency.

Again, Karua remains so far the only senior PNU minister to have visited Nyanza province as a presidential representative during the funeral of the son of Dalmas Otieno.

Admittedly, Karua knows too well that her chances of being elected the next president of Kenya are slim if not nil, but then she is making significant in-roads into being accepted by the ODM pentagon whom she prefers doing business with as opposed to ODM-K’s Kalonzo Musyoka who emerged a distant third in last year’s presidential polls.

Martha Karua was a key member of the opposition politicians who struggled for the reintroduction of multi-partyism in the 1990s, and later formed a coalition movement that won power in 2003.

Martha Karua has made no secret of her intentions to run for President in the next elections.

Karua is the man in Kibaki's goverment.

All u pple have to be kidding me Martha Karua is the most annoying human being on the planet not to mention she needs a class in diplomacy 101,If u think Kenyans will tolerate mt Kenya guyz again mtashangaa.

We do not attend barazas to discuss top party matters” Ms Karua said of the PNU Parliamentary Group meeting convened by the President where a decision was ratified to enrol individual members and hold party elections.

As the group led by Ms Karua was meeting at the DP offices in Nairobi, a rival group of President Kibaki’s allies, including ministers from PNU, and representatives of Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s ODM Kenya and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s Kanu was having its own session at Panafric Hotel to discuss remaining united under the PNU banner as their vehicle for the 2012 elections.

The public Martha Karua is as intransigent as she is belligerent.

WikipediaRelated Searches:kikuyuKirinyaga DistrictMartha Wangari KaruaNational Assembly of KenyaInternational Commission for JuristInternational Federation of Women LawyerCentral Provincepoliticianuniversity of nairobikenyanmagistrateKenyan parliamentNews About Martha KaruaMartha Karua had a news item on Live Search NewsKibaki and Raila hold first talksdocument.

write(humane_date("2009-01-13 00:08:02"))Martha Karua had 3 news items on Live Search NewsSaitoti joins battle for presidencydocument.

write(humane_date("2009-01-12 06:42:55"))Food crisis: Karua says corruption to blamedocument.

write(humane_date("2009-01-11 19:01:24"))See More Martha Karua had a news item on Live Search NewsHow PNU beat quick retreat on media lawdocument.

But, Karua described the oppositions demand as seeking to score “cheap political points.

Justice and constitutional minister Karua said the opposition’s demands are unrealistic.

Karua said the government had told the opposition to table their grievances and explain their demand, but the opposition refused.

Karua said her office is yet to receive any formal opposition complaints.

Karua said Kenyans are the only people who could judge the work she has so far been doing.