Morara Kebaso: Reducing counties won’t end corruption
Political activist and businessman Morara Kebaso has dismissed ongoing debates about reducing the number of counties in Kenya, arguing that the move would do little to tackle corruption.
In a statement on Saturday, August 30, 2025, Kebaso stated that corruption is not rooted in the number of administrative units but in the culture of leadership and the choices made by voters.
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“Reducing the number of counties will not reduce corruption. It will just reduce the number of thieves and create slightly bigger thieves that will steal a combined total of what the smaller thieves were stealing—and more,” he said.
Furthermore, he stated that the electorate itself fuels the cycle of corruption, pointing out that Kenyans often recycle leaders despite past failures.
“To add salt to injury, Kenyans will still vote for the small thieves into the office of the bigger thief. The problem here is the Kenyan voter,” he noted.
Additionally, he argued that the political cycle in Kenya is predictable, warning that even if President William Ruto were to lose in 2027, public memory would be short-lived.
“If Ruto loses in 2027 and becomes the leader of the opposition, Kenyans will forget who he was and quickly fall in love with him. They will say, ‘Huyu ndio mtetezi wetu. Afadhali Ruto.’ And Ruto, smiling, will call a press conference and say the constant K lines: ‘We want to condemn the corruption in government. We call upon the agencies… and I am telling the Gen Zs to fight for their country…’ And fools will clap and cheer. The cycle continues,” he observed.
“One day, I will break that cycle. Nitamaliza hiyo upuzi siku moja. Let my disgusted self keep observing for now,” he said.
Raila’s stance
This comes a few days after the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Raila Odinga, stated that counties excelling in areas such as poverty reduction, youth unemployment, and environmental conservation should be recognised and rewarded.
“I propose that there be incentive arrangements between the national and county governments through which the national government will reward those counties that deliver the best services. We need transparent and independent performance reporting at the counties to give the public access to data they can use to evaluate and compare counties,” he said during the 2025 Devolution conference held on August 27, 2025.
Furthermore, he noted that such data would empower citizens to know where it is easier to start a business, access healthcare, engage in farming, and make informed socio-economic decisions.
