Morara: Integrity in politics will get you hated, not honoured
Political commentator Morara Kebaso has cautioned aspiring leaders about the harsh realities of fighting corruption in Kenya.
Taking to his official X account on the night of Thursday, July 24, 2025, Kebaso stated that those who take a stand against graft may find themselves vilified by the very people they aim to serve.
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“Listen, son. If you fight corruption, Kenyans will cheer you. But when corruption fights back, the same Kenyans will help it to fight you,” Kebaso began, painting a bleak picture of the double standards that plague the public’s response to anti-corruption efforts.
The public’s behaviour
He warned that in the face of resistance from corrupt networks, the public often turns on the whistleblower.
“Lies will be told about you to damage your reputation, and those Kenyans will like, share, and repost with excitement. They will troll and insult you for trying to help them see the truth,” he said.
Drawing on personal experience, Kebaso offered a candid lesson: “Don’t make the mistake I made.”
He likened the experience to school days when students loathed the class prefect who reported noisemakers.
“The same way we hated the class prefect… is the same way they hate leaders of integrity,” he noted.
His message serves as a warning to well-intentioned individuals hoping to enter the political arena with clean hands.
“If you can’t learn to steal and lie to them, stay away from politics,” Kebaso advised.
Morara on helping Kenyans
The remarks come a day after Kebaso outlined some of the reasons why he announced that he was stepping back from active politics.
Speaking on the night of Wednesday, July 23, 2025, during an interview with media personality Andrew Kibe that was livestreamed on X, Morara cited emotional exhaustion and the deep-rooted challenges of tribalism and ignorance among Kenyans.
Morara became a prominent voice in the Gen Z movement that swept the country from 2024 into 2025, championing social justice, accountability, and systemic change.
However, he now says the weight of the struggle has become overwhelming.
“I came to this Gen Z movement, and I participated from last year to around last month, so that is probably a year. So I have been in this thing, but nimefika mahali, I am overwhelmed,” he told Kibe.
“It is okay to be overwhelmed, and it is also okay to take a break.”
