People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua is mourning the death of her father, Mwalimu Jackson Karua, following an emotional final family visit in Kirinyaga.
Karua announced her father’s death on Sunday, September 27, 2026, revealing that she and her siblings had spent time with him earlier that day. The family shared what would become their final moments together, including singing his favourite gospel hymn.
The significance of that moment only became clear later when Karua received news of her father’s death while travelling back to Nairobi.
Martha Karua’s Emotional Final Moments With Her Father
Karua travelled to Kirinyaga on Sunday to visit her father alongside her siblings. During the visit, the family spent time together and sang his favourite gospel hymn.
At the time, they did not know they were sharing their final song with him.
Karua later received the devastating news while she was on her way back to Nairobi. She described the final moments as something she was deeply grateful to have experienced despite the pain of losing her father.
The PLP leader reflected on how difficult it is to say goodbye to someone who has been part of one’s life from the beginning. She said the opportunity to sit beside her father and spend time with him had become a treasured memory following his death.
Jackson Karua Remembered as a Strong Supporter
In her tribute, Karua remembered her father as more than a parent. She described him as one of her strongest supporters throughout the different stages of her life.
According to Karua, her father’s encouragement began during her school years and continued through her legal career and public life.
She said he believed in her long before she had achieved things that could be publicly celebrated. His support remained constant as she built her career and later became a prominent figure in Kenya’s public life.
Karua said she would miss his voice, counsel, encouragement and the reassurance of knowing that he was always there for her.
For her, the loss is therefore not only the death of a parent but also the absence of someone who had remained a steady source of encouragement throughout her journey.
A Father Who Valued Education and Character
Karua also remembered Mwalimu Jackson as a teacher and a principled man who believed in education, character and doing what was right.
His identity as a teacher was an important part of the tribute, with condolences describing him as someone who influenced the lives of people he taught.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, among other leaders, described Jackson Karua as an influential teacher whose contribution extended beyond his immediate family to the people he taught and interacted with throughout his life.
For Karua’s family, however, his role as a teacher was only one part of the person they knew.
She described him as a loving, steady, generous and present father who gave his children not only affection but also values that would remain with them.
Martha Karua Says Goodbye to Her Father
The death has left Karua and her siblings mourning a deeply personal loss.
Karua said the death of her father was a profound loss to his children, grandchildren, extended family and the many people whose lives he touched.
She acknowledged that each family member would experience his absence differently, but the lessons and love he gave them would remain.
The final visit in Kirinyaga has consequently taken on special meaning. What began as a normal family visit became the last opportunity for Karua and her siblings to sit with their father, spend time together and sing one of his favourite hymns.
For Karua, that memory is now inseparable from the grief of losing him.
Leaders Mourn Jackson Karua
News of Jackson Karua’s death has prompted messages of condolence from leaders across Kenya’s political landscape.
President William Ruto joined other leaders in mourning the former Justice Minister’s father, while Gachagua and other political figures also extended their sympathies to the Karua family.
Ruto described Mwalimu Jackson as a dedicated teacher and servant whose work touched many lives across generations. The messages reflected recognition of his contribution as an educator and his role as a father.
The condolences have come as Karua and her family begin the difficult process of mourning their loss.
A Lasting Memory for Martha Karua
For Martha Karua, the final visit with her father will remain a particularly important memory.
She travelled to Kirinyaga expecting to spend time with him alongside her siblings. They sat together, shared time as a family and sang his favourite gospel hymn.
Hours later, she was travelling back to Nairobi when she received the news that he had died.
That sequence of events has made the family visit especially emotional. Although the family could not have known it would be their final time together, Karua has said she remains grateful they had the opportunity to be beside him.
As she mourns, the memories of her father’s encouragement, guidance and love will remain part of her life.
Mwalimu Jackson Karua leaves behind a family that will continue to carry the values he passed on to them. For Martha Karua, his memory will also remain connected to the support he gave her from her early school years through her career in law and public service.
His final family moments in Kirinyaga, marked by a favourite gospel hymn, have become a poignant reminder of the bond between a father and his children.
