Kenya Ni Home: Activist Mercy Tarus and Morara Kebaso tussle over use of popular slogan

Tarus, who shot to fame after the Uasin Gishu Finland scandal broke, and went on to become a prominent agitator during the recent nationwide protests, on Wednesday, September 18, took to her X account to accuse Morara of misappropriating her popular phrase 'Kenya Ni Home'.

According to her, the slogan is her creation and, essentially, her intellectual property and therefore, no other person should use it in their public activities - and this includes hugely-popular civic educator Morara Kebaso.

What started off as an innocent tweet from Morara quickly disintegrated into a messy showdown as Tarus took shots at Morara, accusing him of, among other things, stealing her phrase, robbing her ideas and lacking intellectual originality.

In one of the tumultuous storm of tweets she posted, Tarus said: "It is slowly shifting from civic education and engagement to political rallies. This is what we call taking advantage of the movement."

"You cannot claim to be conducting any civic education and engagement by consolidating people around you like the same politicians for your selfish gains." 

She continued: "I have no problem with your intentions, just don't drag my name and my initiative into your political ambitions."

"But in your indecisiveness, don't drag my name, my slogan and initiative. Be creative. Come up with your own.

"You're so scared of structure and accountability that is why you want something that already exists so that we can share blames?"

As the heat escalated, Tarus started sharing screenshots of her private chats with Morara, claiming that Morara had, on several occasions, approached her for political ideas, proper messaging and personal branding.

Attaching one such screenshot, she wrote: "Just the other day you were here asking me to confirm if whatever you want to post is okay. I advised you to go with this and not the other one you had wanted to post." 

"I even taught you how to brand yourself like Raila and Ruto if you have political ambitions and you silently listened. Now you want to go out there like a man. Kenya Ni Home and home must be respected!"

Morara, on the other hand, appeared to avoid the confrontation, only sharing videos of his daily activities as well as several X polls, asking his supporters to help him decide the best approach to take as he consolidated his base and political outfit.

Still, Tarus went on, claiming that Kenya Ni Home was her officially registered initiative with various social-political activities and even a workplace.

"Kenya Ni Home has legacy 47 projects. Kenya Ni Home has MEPA as a project. Kenya Ni Home has people it works with and they are key on liability and credibility. Kenya Ni Home is establishing a school," she wrote. 

"The moment you want to infiltrate it for political mileage and make us feel like we are kids you cross a line."

So ugly were things that Canada-based lawyer and political commentator Miguna Miguna was forced to intervene and help calm down the tensions.

He tweeted:" 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 @MoraraKebasoSnr to find and use another name or slogan for whatever he is doing or intends to do. Let us avoid unnecessary distractions. We cannot afford any distractions."

Over the course of the nationwide anti-government protests, majorly driven by the Gen Z, Tarus emerged as one of the fiercest and most eloquent critics of President William Ruto's administration.

She has since repackaged her popularity into a fervent digital activism, ending all her statements and thoughts with the phrase 'Kenya Ni Home and Home must be respected."

However, it has emerged that another woman actually used the phrase back in 2013 - way before Tarus made it her trademark.

On September 23, 2013, Joan Kanini, a politician and governance expert simply tweeted: "Kenya ni home, Our diversity is our strength."

As it stands, some Kenyans have expressed their solidarity with Morara, telling Tarus off and even suggesting several other related slogans Morara could instead use.

"Don't mind her. Let her keep the slogan. You can go with "Kenya ni Yetu", "Kwetu ni Kenya" or even "Home ni Kenya". Don't let a silly slogan derail your purpose," Regina Wambui said.