'Ni God manze': Mbadi says his Treasury job is a miracle

National Treasury CS John Mbadi now says God performed a miracle in his life by granting him a position he had coveted for many years, through President William Ruto, a former political foe.

Mbadi said that he had long aspired to be the minister in charge of the country’s finances, but the dream had remained elusive.

Before he was nominated National Treasury CS on July 24, Mbadi was a nominated MP and the national chairman of the ODM party.

Before the 2022 General Election, Mbadi was one of the most powerful politicians in the opposition coalition, the National Super Alliance (NASA). He served as the National Assembly Minority Leader, a position that raised his political profile significantly. At the same time, he was serving his third term as MP for Suba South.

However, the 2022 election marked the beginning of a rough political patch for Mbadi—albeit a brief one. Ahead of the elections, he decided not to defend his parliamentary seat, opting instead to run for Homa Bay governor. But when the ODM primaries approached, the party awarded the nomination ticket to Gladys Wanga.

Mbadi was disappointed but was promised a Cabinet Secretary position if Azimio la Umoja’s candidate, Raila Odinga, won the presidential election. However, when Raila lost to William Ruto, Mbadi’s hopes of a plum Cabinet job vanished. Having been denied the governor’s seat and his Cabinet ambitions dashed, he accepted a nomination to Parliament as a consolation.

His political star seemed to be dimming. Yet, less than two years later, it is shining brightly again, thanks in large part to an uprising by young Kenyans, initially against the unpopular Finance Bill 2024 and later against poor governance.

At the height of the protests, President Ruto dissolved his Cabinet and appointed a new one. And who did he name as his new holder of the nation’s purse strings? John Ng'ongo Mbadi, the ODM chairman!

In an unexpected turn of events, a dream that once seemed like a distant fantasy became a reality.

During his prayer and thanksgiving ceremony in Magunga Town, Suba South Constituency, Mbadi shared how the National Treasury post had eluded him three times.

Speaking at the ceremony attended by President Ruto, Mbadi said he had been promised the Treasury CS position in 2013, 2017, and again in 2022, if Raila Odinga became president.

“I began eyeing this position in 2013 when I was promised the role if Odinga won the presidency. In 2017, I had the same dream with the same promise, but it didn’t materialize. Again, in 2022, I was promised the CS for National Treasury position, but all the promises failed,” Mbadi said.

However, thanks to the youth protests that led to the formation of a broad-based government, Mbadi’s long-held dream finally came true.

In what he described as a miracle, it was Ruto—his former political rival—who ultimately made his dream a reality.

Mbadi said he received news of his appointment with surprise.

“The information came to me as a shock but a pleasant surprise. I thank President Ruto,” Mbadi said.

President Ruto added a humorous touch, joking that Kenya’s money is now kept in Homa Bay County.

“I’m told that these days, all government funds are kept in Homa Bay County because Mbadi is the CS for National Treasury!” Ruto said, drawing laughter from the crowd.