Karua's Narc Kenya officially rebrands to People’s Liberation party

The party received the certificate of change of name on Friday.

by JAMES MBAKA

Realtime01 February 2025 - 11:49

In Summary

The name change is part of Karua’s efforts to appeal to the youthful generation of Gen Zs, expected to influence the 2027 general election.
On Friday, the Registrar of Political Parties, Anne Nderitu, presented the legal document to Karua at the ORPP's Lion Place offices.

Martha Karua's Narc Kenya party will now be known as the People's Liberation Party (PLP) after receiving an official name change certificate from the Registrar of Political Parties.

The name change is part of Karua’s efforts to appeal to the youthful generation of Gen Zs, expected to influence the 2027 general election.

On Friday, the Registrar of Political Parties, Anne Nderitu, presented the legal document to Karua at the ORPP's Lion Place offices.

Nderitu commended Narc Kenya for following due process in effecting the name change in accordance with Section 20 of the Political Parties Act, 2011.

"I urge the party to promote nationalism and uphold the realization of political rights," Nderitu said.

Other key changes

The name change is one of four major transformations undertaken by the party as it seeks to enhance its public appeal ahead of the 2027 elections.

In addition to the new name, Narc Kenya has also changed its party symbol, official colors, and slogan.

The party has replaced its previous colors—luminous red and white—with lilac, white, and purple. Its symbol has changed from a rose flower to a purple rose.

The new PLP slogan is "Unite" and "Liberate," replacing the former "One Kenya, One Nation, One People."

This rebranding comes just days after Karua and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua signaled their willingness to work together.

The two leaders have spoken highly of the Gen Zs and asked the young people to register as voters.

Karua has stated that the name change reflects a generational shift in party leadership, aligning with the aspirations of young people.

In the past year, the youth mounted significant resistance against the Kenya Kwanza administration.

She also revealed that PLP intends to sponsor radical constitutional amendments, including introducing term limits for top party leadership.

"The party delegates have authorized us to amend our constitution. We want to be the first party in Kenya to have term limits for our top leadership. This means that in the next party elections, I will not be eligible to contest," Karua announced in November.

Last week, Karua reiterated her commitment to working with Gachagua, who is also set to launch his own political party this month.

"I have led Narc Kenya, but we have rebranded. We will officially launch the People's Liberation Party (PLP) next month," Karua said on January 25.

"Don't assume this process just started. We applied for the name change in May last year, but it is only now being finalized."

This latest move intensifies the battle for Gen Z voters, a demographic expected to be a decisive force in the 2027 elections.

According to the Kenya National Council for Population and Development, the 2019 census showed that 75.1% of Kenya's population is under the age of 35.

This translates to 35.7 million people, or three out of every four Kenyans, with many advocating for political and economic liberation.

As presidential hopefuls align with younger voters, the race for this crucial voting bloc is set to be highly competitive as Kenya heads toward 2027.

History of Narc-Kenya

Narc-Kenya’s full name is the National Rainbow Coalition–Kenya.

The party was formed after the defeat of the government-sponsored draft constitution in 2005.

It was formed by National Rainbow Coalition members loyal to the government and then led by Mwai Kibaki.

Karua ran for president in 2013 on the Narc- Kenya ticket, a party she took charge of after resigning from Kibaki's government in 2009.