Martha Karua's father, Jackson Karua dies

Martha Karua is mourning the death of her father, Mwalimu Jackson Karua, just days after celebrating her 69th birthday.

The People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader broke the news in a statement posted on her social media account on Sunday, September 27, 2026.

According to her account, she had spent time with her father in Kirinyaga earlier that same day, alongside her siblings.

The family had travelled to be with him, sharing a moment that included singing his favourite gospel hymn together.

None of them knew it would be their final moments with him.

Karua said she received news of his death while travelling back to Nairobi, only hours after leaving his side.

Dennis Itumbi joined Karua in mourning her father. He posted on Facebook, "Dad leaves a strong legacy and a daughter who has a whole chapter in the book called Kenya."

In her tribute, she painted a picture of a father who had shaped nearly every chapter of her life, long before the world knew her name.

"My father believed in me long before I had achieved anything worth celebrating. From my school days, through my career in law, and through the many chapters of my public life, he remained one of my strongest supporters," she said.

She described him as someone who was constantly encouraging, a steady presence firmly in her corner through every season of her career.

Beyond his role as a father, Karua remembered him as a principled man, one who placed high value on character, education and doing what was right.

She also spoke of him as a teacher by profession and a loving father by nature, someone approachable and generous, always willing to share his wisdom with those around him.

According to Karua, the values her father instilled and the lessons he passed down will remain with the family long after his passing.

Karua mourned her father’s death, noting it was a huge loss to the entire Karua family, including his grandchildren and the people the patriarch's life touched.

Mwalimu Jackson Karua's death comes days after former justice minister Martha Karua celebrated her 69th birthday.

Karua took her followers down memory lane with a throwback photo and a heartfelt reflection on the road that brought her to politics and success as a law practitioner.

In her message, Karua recalled becoming a magistrate at 24, "a responsibility and a title that felt significant at that age"

By her late twenties, Martha Karua had risen to Senior Resident Magistrate. She was also raising a young family as a single mother, with the support of her sister and family.