The Injection of National Justice, Economic and Civic Transformation (INJECT) Party has now quickly vanished from the minds of Kenyans just as fast as it emerged. The party was formed by retired civic activist and educator Morara Kebaso, alongside other activists who gained prominence in 2024 during the Finance Bill protests.

The party was launched in September 2024, when the dust of the Gen Z protests was slowly settling. However, in less than a year, it failed to take off, crumbling before it could stand the test of time. The exact details that led to its downfall remain scarce.

The name INJECT first gained prominence during the 2024 Gen Z protests, symbolising the act of putting the government on its toes by exposing the truth. Morara and his team later adopted it as their party’s official name, with the party’s symbol being a large syringe.

In the months that followed its formation, Morara, who had become the face of the movement, was seen traversing the country with his team, engaging Kenyans through civic education forums. Their activities were reportedly facilitated by public contributions.

Cracks within INJECT

However, cracks soon began to emerge. The School of Law president, Joshua Okayo, who served as the party’s secretary general, alongside Evans Kimori and other activists, announced their departure from the INJECT Party. They cited opaqueness and lack of transparency, leaving Morara alone at the helm.

During a press briefing, the disappointment on their faces was visible. Later, Okayo explained the reasons for their exit. He claimed that reaching Morara had become almost impossible, even for those in the inner circle. According to him, before meeting Morara at the party office in Kahawa Sukari, they had to undergo multiple security checks and explain to the guards what business they had with him.

Okayo said that although he was occasionally spared the rigorous checks, the system created an environment where Morara appeared untouchable and almighty, even though they were supposed to be like-minded individuals working together.

“Now Morara became this all-powerful, almighty person. You could not get to his office without security checks. Those who were there know what I am saying. I was privileged enough to just walk into his office without the cheques, but for everyone else, you had to go through interrogations. You were even asked, ‘Unaenda kuona mkubwa? ‘Wewe ni nani?’ I think those were the things I could not work with this self-importance,” Okayo said.

Registration questions

On his part, Evans Kimori, another key member of the group, has repeatedly spoken about what led to the party’s collapse. He has consistently pointed out that the INJECT Party was never registered, confirming suspicions from Kenyans who had earlier questioned its legitimacy. A report from the Registrar of Political Parties showed that INJECT was not among the 91 listed parties, an issue that Morara himself never came out to clearly explain.

Days after failing to take off, with most Kenyans losing their trust in Morara, he came out to announce his departure from politics, stating that after self-introspection, he had decided to call off his engagement in politics but instead concentrate on his business and family, stating that Kenyans cannot be helped. Days latter he also came to announce that in 2027, he will not be vying for any elective seat

Conclusion

Although the party’s intention was to bring change, challenge the status quo, and provide an alternative to Kenyans, especially the youthful generation—a new party that could represent their ideologies, giving a break from the parties that are owned and controlled by legacy politicians—it crumbled even before it could take off under the weight of internal wrangles, lack of accountability, and the public trust in Morara and the party slowly fading out, with even key members disowning it, the party quickly disappeared from the political scene, leaving behind memories of what could have been a transformative movement.