Cabinet Secretary for Treasury, John Mbadi, has come out strongly in defense of President William Ruto’s administration, urging critics to make fair comparisons with the previous regime before leveling accusations. Speaking in Suna West Sub-county on Sunday, Mbadi dismissed claims that the Kenya Kwanza government is underperforming, insisting that significant progress has been made, especially in key economic and administrative areas.
“What is it that is going so bad that did not happen during Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure?” Mbadi posed, calling on opposition figures and discontented leaders to reflect on the past before attacking the present. According to him, the current administration has made strides that the previous government failed to achieve, particularly in matters of financial disbursement and sectoral support.
Mbadi pointed to full disbursement of funds to counties in the 2024/2025 financial year, a feat he says was rarely achieved during the Uhuru administration. He also noted that the Kenya Kwanza government had cleared arrears owed to counties from the previous year, signaling a renewed commitment to devolution.
“The entire Uhuru presidency never witnessed full disbursements to counties,” Mbadi emphasized. “This year, we released all the allocations, including the arrears from 2023/24.”
The CS also highlighted that crucial economic sectors such as tea and coffee have not raised concerns about underfunding, contrary to complaints being aired by some leaders, particularly from Central Kenya. Furthermore, Mbadi noted that all constituencies had received full disbursement of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), something he claimed had not happened in nearly a decade.
His remarks signal a firm pushback from within Ruto’s government, aimed at silencing growing criticism and repositioning the administration as one that is delivering tangible results. As political fault lines deepen ahead of 2027, Mbadi’s comments add fuel to the fiery national debate on governance, delivery, and legacy.
