Political firebrand Morara Kebaso has dropped a scathing indictment of the Kenyan electorate, declaring that the country’s addiction to tribal politics is not just a mistake—it is “national foolishness” that actively finances the corruption crippling the economy.

In a blistering statement issued Monday, the activist-turned-politician warned that as the 2027 election drums begin to beat, voters are once again walking into a trap set by ethnic kingpins. His message was blunt: when you vote for a thief because he speaks your mother tongue, you lose the right to complain when he steals your taxes.

The ‘Hospital Test’ for Leadership

Kebaso, known for his relentless audits of stalled government projects, dismantled the logic of ethnic voting with a simple analogy. He questioned why Kenyans demand competence from their doctors but settle for kinship in their commanders-in-chief.

“When we go to a hospital, I am not aware of anyone who looks at the board and asks for a doctor from their tribe so they can be treated,” Kebaso noted. “You go in and you demand service. Yet, when it comes to the government—which determines if that hospital has medicine—you retreat to ethnic alliances. It is madness.”

He argued that this cognitive dissonance is why service delivery has collapsed. By prioritizing mtu wetu (our person) over merit, voters have handed the keys of the treasury to individuals whose only qualification is their last name.

The Opposition’s ‘Business Deal’

The critique did not spare the emerging “United Opposition” coalition. Kebaso accused heavyweights like former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka of using tribal arithmetic not to liberate the country, but to secure their own seats at the negotiating table.

According to Kebaso, the political class has perfected a game where the voter is the only guaranteed loser:

• The Kingpin Wins: Even if they lose the presidency, they win enough MPs to negotiate lucrative government deals.
• The Voter Loses: The common mwananchi is left with dilapidated roads, high taxes, and no representation.
• The Cycle Continues: The “tribal matrix” ensures no leader is ever held accountable for theft, only for loyalty.

“Gachagua will not lose anything. Kalonzo will win enough seats to negotiate his deals,” Kebaso warned. “You are the only one who will lose because, as long as you vote along tribal lines and with the mheshimiwa’s money in your pocket, the status quo remains.”

Betrayal of the Gen Z Dream

The statement strikes a painful chord following the historic Gen Z protests of June 2024, which were defined by a “leaderless, partyless, and tribeless” ethos. Kebaso lamented that barely a year later, the political landscape has regressed to the same old ethnic balkanization.

He challenged the youth to reject the narrative that they need a tribal chieftain to survive. “We would rather have an imperfect, chaotic youth party that dares to end tribalism than sit idle and watch Kenya’s promise fade away,” he stated.

For Kebaso, the equation is simple: You cannot fight corruption while financing it with your vote. As the political temperature rises, his ultimatum to the Kenyan voter is clear: “Tokeni kwa hiyo ujinga ya ukabila (Get out of that tribal nonsense) if you want change. Otherwise, prepare for five more years of tears.”