People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has called on President William Ruto and his entire administration to step down. She pointed to rising anger among citizens both online and in public protests.

A growing number of frustrated Kenyans have been pushing forward the “Ruto Must Go” campaign voicing their concerns through chants during demonstrations and posts on social media platforms.

Many Kenyans say they feel let down by the performance of the Kenya Kwanza government. They are also backing the Opposition’s call for Ruto to limit his time in office to just one term.

President Ruto responded to these demands during a public speech on Friday. He rejected the calls to resign stating that the Constitution already sets clear term limits for the presidency.

“If it is a question of terms, the Constitution has already sorted out and settled the issue of term limits. You can either be one or two-term… You cannot have more than that. So what is this craze about terms?” he asked.

Ruto also called on those asking for his resignation to explain what their slogan means and how they expect him to step aside.

“If it is Ruto must go, then tell me how you want me to go. What do you mean by Ruto must go? How do I go? Because we have a constitution in place,” he stated.

Martha Karua called on the President to “respect the voice of the people” and leave office . She cautioned that if Ruto ignores what the public wants, Kenyans have the constitutional right to force him out before his term is over.

“Take the same route you took to get where you are,” Karua said during an interview with Spice FM on Tuesday. “You could resign; if you truly respected the voice of the people, you would have resigned by now, with your entire government, and go home.”

Karua, a former Minister for Justice, did not mince her words. She cautioned that ignoring the public outcry could lead to a political reckoning, whether through the ballot in 2027 or even earlier through mass citizen action.

“But because you won’t, whether in 2027, or earlier, the people will remove you. You may continue to kill as you are killing now, but you cannot kill everyone,” she added, referencing the disturbing rise in police killings of anti-government protesters.

Karua likened Ruto’s leadership style to that of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada, warning that no regime built on repression can stand against the will of the people.

“History has shown us tyrants and dictators who ruled through terror and none of them have ever survived the will of the people,” she stated. “Not even Idi Amin, whom Ruto seems to be imitating. Al Bashir had a very serious army but he still went down.”

Karua at the same time accused the Ruto administration of undermining the Constitution and running what she described as a rogue regime. According to her, the President has lost the moral and legal authority to lead and should resign.

“Kenyans have a right to fire you for gross incompetence, violation of the rule of law, and an attempt to overthrow the Constitution. The law says you cannot establish a government other than by lawful means, but Ruto has overthrown the Constitution and established a rogue regime,” she said.

She further argued that power ultimately rests with the people, and insisted that Kenyans have the constitutional right to remove a leader who fails to uphold their trust.

“If at all he has any respect for himself and the people, he should be packing his bags,” Karua declared.

She criticized President Ruto and accused him of making an intentional effort to dismiss the seriousness and authenticity of the youth-driven protests spreading nationwide. She said the President unfairly blamed outspoken citizens and human rights groups for violence that she claimed was caused by state-backed infiltrators disrupting peaceful demonstrations.

Karua also called out the government for sealing off major public sites like the State House and Parliament before last Wednesday’s protests. The protests honored those who lost their lives in last year’s demonstrations against the finance bill.

“Dr Ruto’s cowardice is legendary; I have never seen a president barricade themselves in barbed wire during protests. Even Moi did not,” she remarked.

In a fiery rebuke, the former Justice Minister reminded the President that State House is not his personal property but belongs to the people of Kenya.

“That is not your house, Dr Ruto, it’s our house! If you barricade your houses in Sugoi and Karen, we will not ask you. If the State House is too hot, take a holiday to Karen and let the people visit their house,” she said.