Martha Karua Urges Diaspora to Shape Kenya’s Governance Agenda Ahead of 2027 Polls

Martha Karua Urges Diaspora to Shape Kenya’s Governance Agenda Ahead of 2027 Polls

People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader and presidential candidate Martha Karua has called on Kenyans living abroad to actively influence the country’s political direction ahead of the 2027 General Election, arguing that their impact extends far beyond the ballots they cast overseas.

Speaking during a five-day tour of the United Kingdom, Karua met diaspora communities across London, Nottingham, Northampton, and Oxford, where she urged them to leverage their social networks, financial support, and influence over relatives back home to shape governance and policy outcomes.

Karua described diaspora Kenyans as fellow wenyenchi — citizens with equal stake in the nation’s future — despite living outside the country’s borders.

Rejecting arguments that overseas voters wield limited political power due to their relatively small numbers, she said their true strength lies in their ability to guide conversations and decisions within families, professional circles, and community organisations in Kenya.

“Chanting ‘Wantam’ alone will not bring the change we want; that is just a notice of intention. We have to go beyond the chant and put in effort, and that starts by speaking to the people close to you,” Karua told attendees.

During the tour, she also delivered a lecture on education policy at University of Oxford, where she emphasised that Kenyans abroad retain both the right and responsibility to participate in shaping national discourse.

She pointed to the visible role diaspora communities played during the 2024 and 2025 Gen Z-led protests, noting that financial support, advocacy, and international awareness campaigns amplified domestic calls for reform.

Karua dismissed claims that diaspora voters lack sufficient numbers or local understanding to influence elections, describing such narratives as attempts to marginalise dissent.

“To those of you living in the diaspora, you have more votes than you know. The votes we seek ahead of the 2027 polls are more than those you cast here,” she said, referring to the influence diaspora members have over relatives and associates in Kenya.

“We are looking for the votes you can influence right in Kenya. You have friends; you have associations; you have people you support,” she added.

According to Karua, many Kenyans back home view relatives abroad as trusted sources of guidance due to their exposure to different governance systems and economic environments.

She also highlighted the economic dimension of diaspora engagement, noting that remittances effectively cushion households against hardships when public services fail.

“When things go right in Nairobi, they go right for you here too, because your families back at home will bother you less to subsidise failing systems,” she said.

“When your loved ones are facing hunger back at home, or when they lose their lives and properties in the floods, you are the first to know, because they ask you for support,” Karua added, stressing that governance failures directly translate into financial burdens for families abroad.

Political analysts say diaspora remittances constitute one of Kenya’s largest sources of foreign exchange, giving overseas citizens both economic leverage and moral authority in national debates.

Karua, who has formally declared her intention to run for president, framed diaspora participation as essential to what she termed the country’s broader “liberation” agenda — a campaign centred on governance reforms, accountability, and social justice.

Her UK visit culminated in a keynote address at the Oxford Education Research Symposium held at Harris Manchester College, part of the historic Oxford institution.

As the 2027 election cycle gradually takes shape, her message signals growing efforts by political leaders to court diaspora support not only for votes but also for influence, resources, and global advocacy.

For many Kenyans abroad, the appeal underscores a familiar reality: while distance may separate them from home, the consequences of political decisions in Nairobi continue to resonate deeply in their daily lives.

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Martha Karua Urges Diaspora to Shape Kenya’s Governance Agenda Ahead of 2027 Polls