People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua has asserted that the Office of the President is not a personal entitlement but a position to serve the people.
Speaking in an interview with Radio Citizen, Karua criticised leaders who when asked to prove their development record, would claim that their term is yet to end.
She took a swipe at leaders she claimed considered the second term of presidency as an entitlement and reiterated that the office was a responsibility to the people.
“Kiti ya kuchaguliwa si mali yako ubinafsi. Sio title deed. Ni kibarua umepatiwa na wananchi. Na unaweza futwa wakati wowote.”
(An elected office is not your personal property. It is not a title deed. It is a duty you have been given by the citizens, and you can be fired at any time.)
Karua insisted that presidents should only serve for five years and wait for another three or four terms before vying for a second term.
She stated that this short-term limit would end the entitlement culture, helping leaders realise that the presidential office is not an entitlement.
She further dismissed the notion that a leader cannot implement their manifesto within five years, noting that she made transformational reforms while she served in the Ministry of Water.
In a commentary on the interview on X, Karua declared that she was ready to transform the country if elected president in 2027.
“As President, I am prepared to serve one term, focused on laying a strong foundation for the transformation we need,” she said.
She reiterated that she would use the same principles and commitment she employed while in the ministry of water for better leadership.
“I did it before in the ministry of water; real reforms can be achieved with clarity and commitment,” she said.
“It is time we build a culture that demands accountability, not entitlement, in public office,” she concluded.
