Morara blames voter behaviour for Kenya’s current problems
By Kiprono Keileb, August 24, 2025Lawyer and political commentator Morara Kebaso argued that Kenya’s greatest challenge lies not only in leaders tainted by corruption but also in the voters who repeatedly recycle them back into power.
In a strongly worded statement on his X account posted on Sunday, August 24, 2025, Kebaso lamented that Kenyans have normalised theft and poor leadership by voting back the same politicians accused of plundering public resources.
“The saddest thing is not that SHA is a robbery of billions. What makes me more sad is that Kenyans will still vote for those robbers,” he wrote.
Kebaso did not spare the opposition either, saying that many of its leaders had questionable pasts yet now positioned themselves as reformists.
“That includes these crooks in the opposition. Yesterday’s thieves are now giving beautiful speeches about the future of Kenya,” he added.
According to him, the political system will continue to produce compromised outcomes as long as voters remain unwilling to break away from recycled leadership. He gave the example of the 2027 elections, warning that even if President William Ruto lost the presidency, he and his party would still wield significant parliamentary power.
“Even if W S Ruto loses the 2027 election, Kenyans will still give him or his party several members of parliament. The next government will need him to pass anything in the house from Cabinet nominees to budget allocations,” he argued.
Grassroot levels
Kebaso stressed that the real problem lies at the grassroots level, where voters enable corrupt leaders by prioritising short-term gains such as handouts over accountability.
“The real problem is not at the top. It is at the bottom. Kenyans need to change before anything in leadership can change,” she said.
His remarks come at a time when debates around corruption, state capture, and political accountability have intensified. Critics of the government have accused leaders across the political divide of paying lip service to reform while entrenching personal gain.
Kebaso’s statement resonates with concerns that Kenya’s fight against corruption cannot succeed without civic responsibility and voter integrity. Analysts have often warned that unless citizens reject leaders with tainted records, the cycle of poor governance will persist regardless of which coalition holds power.
Her blunt message has sparked conversations online, with many Kenyans reflecting on whether the real failure lies not in the State House or Parliament, but in the ballot decisions made every five years.