A dispute has emerged between activist Mercy Tarus and civic educator Morara Kebaso over the use of the slogan “Kenya Ni Home,” which Tarus claims to have created and owns exclusively.
Tarus, who gained prominence following the Uasin Gishu Finland scandal and her involvement in recent nationwide protests, took to her X (formerly Twitter) account on September 18 to accuse Morara of using her slogan without permission.
Tarus insists that “Kenya Ni Home” is her intellectual property and no one, including the well-known civic educator Morara, should use it in their public activities. What started as a casual tweet from Morara turned into a heated exchange, with Tarus accusing him of not only stealing her slogan but also lacking originality and exploiting the movement for personal gain.
In a series of tweets, Tarus voiced her concerns, stating, “It’s no longer about civic education; it’s turning into political rallies. This is exploiting the movement.” She also accused Morara of aligning with political figures for selfish reasons, urging him to develop his own ideas without infringing on her initiative.
1. Kenya Ni Home has legacy 47 projects.
2. Kenya Ni Home has MEPA as a project.
3. Kenya Ni Home has people it works with and they are key on liability and credibility.
4. Kenya Ni Home is establishing a school.The moment you want to infiltrate it for political mileage and…
— Mercy Tarus (@thisafricangirl) September 18, 2024
As the tension grew, Tarus posted screenshots of private conversations between the two, alleging that Morara had sought her advice on political messaging and personal branding. She claimed to have guided him on how to position himself politically, similar to figures like Raila Odinga and William Ruto.
In contrast, Morara avoided directly engaging with Tarus and instead posted videos of his civic work, along with polls asking his supporters for feedback on his political direction. Tarus, however, continued to assert that “Kenya Ni Home” is a registered initiative with various projects under its umbrella, including social-political activities and a school.
The dispute drew attention from notable figures, including Canada-based lawyer Miguna Miguna, who intervened in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. Miguna publicly reached out to both Tarus and Morara, acknowledging Tarus’s concerns and advising Morara to choose a different slogan to avoid unnecessary distractions.
I have spoken with @thisafricangirl, Mercy Tarus. I have also sent a message to @MoraraKebasoSnr and asked to speak with him.
The issues she has raised about my comrade @MoraraKebasoSnr’s unauthorized appropriation of her organization’s name/slogan are legitimate.
I ask…
— Dr. Miguna Miguna (@MigunaMiguna) September 18, 2024
While Tarus has maintained that “Kenya Ni Home” is her creation, it was discovered that another individual, Joan Kanini, had used a similar phrase in 2013.
Despite this, many Kenyans have rallied behind Morara, suggesting alternative slogans like “Kenya Ni Yetu” or “Kwetu Ni Kenya” to help him continue his civic work without further conflict over the slogan.
