Hon. Martha Karua delivering the keynote address during the launch of Angaza Kura Platform unveiled by Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi
By Peace Muthoka
NAIROBI, Kenya, November 11, 2026 — Kenyans will have an opportunity to suggest leaders they believe can bring change and help shape the country’s political future through a new digital platform launched ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The platform,known as Angaza Kura, was unveiled by Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi! on Wednesday at Sarova Stanley in Nairobi. It allows citizens to nominate people they believe can offer a different kind of leadership, share their experiences during elections and raise concerns about how leaders are held accountable.Kenyans can access the platform through https://inuka.angazakura.org/
The initiative comes as political conversations ahead of the 2027 polls gather pace. However, its organisers want Kenyans to look beyond political parties, popularity and campaign promises when deciding who deserves public office.
Instead, the campaign wants voters to focus on qualities such as honesty, ability to deliver, integrity and willingness to answer to the people.
Launched under the theme “Reimagining Leadership, Reclaiming Citizen Agency”, the campaign seeks to give ordinary citizens a bigger role in deciding what kind of leaders they want and what they expect from those elected.
Delivering the keynote address, Martha Karua said the power to govern belongs to the people, but questioned whether Kenyans truly enjoy that power after electing their leaders.
“Is it the citizen whose taxes sustain the state, whose labour builds the economy, and whose vote confers authority? Or is it the officeholder who, once elected, hijacks power and behaves like the master relegating citizens to subjects?” she asked.
Karua said elections should not give leaders the freedom to rule without listening to the people. Rather, public office should be treated as a responsibility to serve, protect people’s rights and improve their lives.
She noted that although Kenya gained independence, some leadership practices still make citizens feel as though they must depend on politicians to access services that should be available to everyone.
“Whenever leadership demands obedience without accountability, the colonial model or inheritance survives. Whenever citizens must seek political patronage to obtain public services, it survives. Whenever criticism is treated as disloyalty, it survives,” she said.
Karua argued that services such as healthcare, roads and education are government responsibilities funded by taxpayers. Therefore, leaders should not present them as personal gifts or expect political support in return.
She also challenged those seeking to offer alternative leadership to practise the values they promise, including within their own political parties.
According to her, leaders cannot demand transparency from the government while refusing to be questioned themselves. They must also give young people and women a meaningful role in decision-making.
“It is insufficient to condemn arrogance in government while practising it within our political parties. We cannot promise inclusion while silencing young people and women in our own organisations. We cannot demand transparency from others while avoiding scrutiny ourselves,” she said.
Karua, who announced that she had offered herself for the presidency in the 2027 General Election, said her proposed alternative was based on respect for the Constitution, integrity, fairness in the economy and the people’s right to choose and question their leaders.
She urged Kenyans to examine her record and question her plans, saying no political leader should be exempt from public scrutiny, regardless of their past achievements or popularity.
“No leader should seek exemption from accountability because of past service, personal sacrifice or political popularity,” she said.
She further reminded voters that the presidential election is only one part of the ballot. Kenyans will also elect other leaders, and their choices in all six elective positions will shape how the country is governed.
Turning to the Angaza Kura platform, Karua said the initiative could help change the way political decisions are made by allowing citizens to take part in identifying leaders instead of leaving the process to political parties and influential individuals.
She said the views of ordinary people should guide political priorities. For instance, a parent seeking treatment for a child, a graduate looking for a job and a farmer struggling to earn a fair income all have concerns that leaders should address.
Karua added that citizens should not limit their participation to voting every five years. They should also follow how public money is spent, question government decisions, organise peacefully and demand better services.
She said journalists, young people and other citizens who raise questions about those in power should be allowed to do so without fear.
Karua also called for respect for human rights, saying no government should use abductions, torture or unlawful killings to silence people who disagree with it. She urged public institutions to investigate wrongdoing and ensure that those responsible are held accountable, regardless of their positions.
On the economy, she warned that people struggling with poverty could be pressured into supporting politicians in exchange for jobs, relief or other opportunities.
She said access to education, employment and essential services should not depend on political loyalty. Instead, Kenyans should have fair opportunities to improve their lives.
Karua also urged voters not to allow ethnicity to determine their political choices, saying no politician should expect a community to defend wrongdoing simply because they share the same background.
For the Angaza Kura campaign to reach more people, she encouraged its organisers to take the conversation beyond the internet and engage communities directly. This, she said, would ensure that people without smartphones or reliable internet access can also participate.
She further called for the protection of personal information shared on the platform and clear ways of reviewing citizens’ contributions.
However, Karua said public participation would only make a difference if people could see what happens after they raise their concerns. Citizens should be able to track whether their ideas lead to action and whether leaders keep the promises they make.
She challenged those seeking elective positions to answer basic questions about their records, plans, how they intend to fund their proposals and how the public will measure their performance.
Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi! said the Angaza Kura campaign is intended to strengthen citizens’ participation in leadership discussions, encourage the search for alternative leaders and promote accountability ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Through the platform, the organisation hopes Kenyans will take a more active role in identifying the qualities they want in their leaders and shaping the country’s democratic future.
Karua urged citizens to remain informed, ask difficult questions and participate peacefully in public affairs, reminding them that elected leaders are accountable to the people who give them the power to govern.
