MIGORI, Kenya — Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has defended President William Ruto’s administration, crediting it with stabilising the country’s finances and restoring confidence in public expenditure after what he described as a near-crisis last year.
Speaking during a visit to Migori County on Sunday, Mbadi revealed that upon assuming office at the National Treasury, the government faced acute cash flow challenges that made it difficult to meet basic obligations such as salary payments and debt servicing.
“Last year, when I was appointed to Treasury… sometimes we would sit with my PS and the Director General of Accounting Services, and we were not sure we could pay salaries,” Mbadi said. “We could not tell Kenyans that we were finding it hard to pay salaries; we were not sure whether we would pay loans. That is why you saw what happened to the shilling last year… because we were not clear we would pay loans.”
The CS criticised those claiming the Kenya Kwanza administration had made no progress, saying the government had not only stabilised the economy but also successfully managed external debt pressures.
“We have even de-risked the loan that was to be paid in 2027,” he added, arguing that critics must be “honest with themselves” about the visible improvements.
Mbadi attributed the turnaround to President Ruto’s support, noting that Treasury operations have since regained momentum, allowing the government to fund development projects more reliably across regions.
He pointed to the recent upgrade of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital from a Level 5 to a Level 6 facility as an example of the administration’s commitment to equitable development.
The hospital’s budget, he said, had risen significantly from Sh500 million to Sh3 billion.
The CS urged the Luo community to acknowledge the administration’s efforts and support the president, noting that Migori County alone is set to benefit from development projects worth Sh2.3 billion.
