Morara Kebaso calls for abolishing secret ballot to expose voters of corrupt politicians
By Ascah Mwango, August 30, 2025Political activist and businessman Morara Kebaso has urged the abolition of Kenya’s secret ballot system, arguing that it shields voters who elect corrupt leaders from accountability.
In a statement shared on his X account on Friday, August 29, 2025, Kebaso maintained that the current system allows citizens to hide behind anonymity while making decisions that perpetuate poor leadership.
He insisted that voters should be publicly identified by name, photograph, and even contact details whenever they cast their ballots.
“We need to do away with the secret ballot. We need to know the fools that vote for these corrupt politicians by name, by photo and by phone number,” Kebaso said.
His remarks come a few days after he criticised Kenyan voters for repeatedly electing officials embroiled in corruption scandals, such as the recent Social Health Authority heist.
In an X post dated Sunday, August 24, 2025, he urged citizens to accept responsibility for the country’s governance failures, pointing to their tendency to recycle the same politicians regardless of integrity.
Kebaso warned that even if the current leadership were voted out, many of its members could still win parliamentary seats. That would allow them to retain influence over key government decisions.
“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. And that includes these crooks in the opposition. Yesterday’s thieves are now giving beautiful speeches about the future of Kenya. Even if W S Ruto loses the 2027 election, Kenyans will still give him or his party several members of parliament,” Kebaso said.
He added that future governments will still depend on such politicians for crucial votes in parliament.
“The next government will need him to pass anything in the House, from Cabinet nominees to budget allocations. The real problem is not at the top. It is at the bottom. Kenyans need to change before anything in leadership can change.”
Kenya currently uses the secret ballot as its standard voting method. Under this system, voters cast their choices anonymously in private booths, and their ballots are placed into sealed boxes to ensure confidentiality. The secrecy of the vote is protected by law through the Elections Act, which provides penalties for exposing how a person voted or interfering with the process.