Hon. Karua has been a leading crusader for returning Kenya to a multi-party state, widening democratic space and gender issues. Other than that, she has been a leading legal practitioner.

She has been involved in championing women’s rights through public interest litigation, lobbying for laws to enhance and protect women’s rights and through her work with various women’s organizations particularly the International Federation of Women Lawyers-Kenya, FIDA and the League of Kenya Women Voters.

Another first for Hon. Karua is that she was the first female jurist to be given the award. This was in recognition of her work enumerated above.

She was the first woman lawyer to be elected to Parliament and still holds that position. She has been a leading national politician. Hon. Karua is currently the Minister for Water Resources Management and Development.