Political activist Morara Kebaso has pushed back against claims about his involvement in the lives of his children, revealing a dispute with his estranged wife over their schooling and the cost of their education.
In a lengthy response, Kebaso said their children previously attended Rophine School, where he claims he paid an average of KSh120,000 per term.
He alleges that while he was away in China, his estranged wife, Mercy, moved the children to an international school without his consent.
According to Kebaso, the cost of school fees and other needs for two children has since risen to approximately KSh1 million per term.
He said his objection was not simply about the amount of money involved but also about the kind of environment in which he wants his children raised.
“I wanted my children to go to normal Kenyan schools like other children so that they build African values.”
Kebaso said he later received court papers while travelling to Ethiopia in a case seeking to have him pay the new school expenses.
He maintained that the matter remains before the court and said he is waiting for the decision before determining his next step.
Kebaso also strongly disputed any suggestion that he has been an absent or irresponsible father.
He claimed he has attended every parents’ meeting at Rophine School since his children joined the institution, while alleging that Mercy attended only two.
He further said that even during his political activities, he would sometimes travel overnight for hundreds of kilometres to attend school meetings the following day.
Kebaso challenged teachers at Rophine to confirm his account, saying he would also make unannounced visits to check his children’s classwork.
He recalled caring for his daughter Zainah when she was born, asking who stayed awake at night, washed her and took care of her.
Kebaso also described attempts he says he made to reconcile with Mercy after she left their home.
He claimed he was in Kisii when he discovered that she had left and later travelled to her parents’ home in Bobasi, where he sought a family meeting involving both sides.
According to Kebaso, the reconciliation effort did not result in the family meeting he had hoped for and he was instead served with court papers.
He questioned whether family reconciliation or court proceedings offered the better path for resolving their differences.
The dispute has unfolded publicly after Mercy also spoke about their separation and questioned Kebaso’s involvement in the children’s day-to-day lives.
For now, the school-fees dispute remains a matter before the court, according to Kebaso, meaning neither side’s competing claims should be treated as judicially established facts.
The controversy ultimately goes beyond the KSh1 million school bill. It has become a public disagreement over parenting, education choices, family values and how separated parents should share responsibility for their children.