Political activist Morara Kebaso has introduced a surprising twist to his ongoing family dispute by officially declaring himself a polygamist. Amid intense public scrutiny over his personal life, the civic leader—who gained national prominence for documenting stalled government projects—has clarified that he currently has two wives. In a recent statement, Kebaso named his estranged partner, Mercy Makini, as his official first wife, and his newly revealed partner, Pauline, as his second.
Addressing the controversy that has dominated social media for days, Kebaso took a seemingly lighthearted approach to the complex family dynamics. He stated that he had officially “promoted” Mercy to the position of first wife, jokingly adding that the prestigious title is not an easy one to attain. This declaration appears to be an attempt to assert control over a narrative that has recently threatened to overshadow his political activism.
The clarification follows a highly publicized and messy fallout with Mercy Makini, a businesswoman who serves as the CEO of Makini Queens Furniture. The couple, who share three children, reportedly parted ways about six months ago. The private separation spilled into the public domain last week when Kebaso was spotted with Pauline. Mercy quickly took to social media to accuse the activist of being an absentee father, alleging that he had no idea what his children had been eating for the past six months.
Kebaso forcefully pushed back against the “deadbeat” allegations, revealing a deep underlying financial and philosophical dispute regarding their children’s education. According to the activist, Mercy transferred two of their children from Rophine School—where he was paying Ksh 120,000 per term—to a high-end international school while he was on a business trip in China. He claimed the unilateral move pushed the school fees to approximately Ksh 1 million per term, a matter that has since landed in court.
Meanwhile, Kebaso’s second wife, Pauline, has refused to shy away from the spotlight. Following the initial backlash over her relationship with the activist, Pauline released a defiant, selfie-style video filmed in what appeared to be a furniture showroom. Mixing Swahili and English, she brushed off the online criticism and confidently declared, “Mimi ndio the program sasa” (I am the programme now).
By publicly structuring his household into a polygamous marriage, Kebaso is effectively forcing his followers to separate his complicated private affairs from his public crusade for governmental accountability. However, with the school fees dispute still reportedly active in court and both wives asserting their positions, the public remains closely tuned in to see how this modern family dynamic will unfold.
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