Former Prime Minister and presidential aspirant Raila Odinga announced that he will share a ticket for August’s presidential elections with lawyer and former rival Martha Karua.

"My dear Kenyans, cometh the hour, cometh the lady. I have the great honour to announce that I have picked as my running mate, and cabinet secretary for justice and constitutional affairs, the honourable Martha Wangari Karua”, he declared according to africa news. “History is calling us to close the gender gap in our country.”

Karua, who competed for the presidency in 2013 herself and has since been nicknamed as the “Iron lady” for working her way up in Kenya’s male-dominated political sphere, is the first woman to run on a major political party's presidential ticket.

She hails from Kenya's largest community, the Kikuyu, and is a former justice minister from the Central Region, which is seen as a key battleground in the 9 August 2022 election.

She has spoken out against corruption in the past, decrying Kenyan politics as a "rich boys' club" and calling on the International Criminal Court to investigate the violence which broke out after previous elections."

This is a moment for the women of Kenya, it is the moment that my late grandmother, one of the most instrumental women in my life would have been proud of, but she would not have been surprised because generations of women have fought for space in the decision-making table", said Karua.

Odinga is endorsed by President Kenyatta.