Treasury CS John Mbadi Rules Out Contesting Homa Bay Governorship
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has confirmed that he will not be contesting any political position in the 2027 General Elections, including the Homa Bay County gubernatorial seat, despite speculation linking him to the post.
Speaking at the Privatisation and People’s Budget Dialogue on Friday, January 16, Mbadi dismissed suggestions that his non-Homa Bay origins would limit his political ambitions there. He made it clear that his current priority is serving the country in his role as Treasury CS.
“I was born and raised in Migori, but that should not be a reason to claim I cannot contest the Homa Bay County gubernatorial seat. That said, I want to make it clear that I have no intention of running for governor in Homa Bay,” Mbadi stated.
The Homa Bay gubernatorial race is shaping up to be highly competitive. The incumbent, Governor Gladys Wanga, is seeking to retain her position, but internal challenges within her administration are already emerging.
Her deputy, Oyugi Magwanga, has openly criticized her leadership, branding her a “one-term governor” and promising to challenge her reelection bid.
Magwanga accused Wanga of mismanaging county resources, claiming that her administration struggles to pay contractors and meet basic operational needs within county offices.
“Wanga is a one-term governor; her time is over. I supported her to become governor, but she has been ungrateful. Now, it is time for accountability,” Magwanga declared.
He further alleged that Wanga’s rise to power was influenced by key political figures, including Mama Ngina Kenyatta, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, Charity Ngilu, Martha Karua, Fred Matiang’i, and trade unionist Francis Atwoli, who, he claimed, pressured Raila Odinga to endorse her candidacy. Magwanga argued that Ngilu and Karua portrayed Wanga’s candidature as a gender-based issue, pushing Raila to convince other aspirants to step aside for her.
Meanwhile, CS Mbadi addressed concerns regarding the government’s budget plans for the education sector in the 2026/2027 financial year.
He dismissed rumors that the sector would face cuts, clarifying that the government plans to increase funding, particularly for higher education and university scholarships.
“We have proposed raising the education budget by approximately Ksh 150 billion. Anyone claiming that we are defunding education is not telling the full truth,” Mbadi explained.
He urged the public to review the draft 2026 budget policy statement and provide their feedback to the Treasury. Mbadi emphasized that public input is crucial to prevent last-minute accusations of budget manipulations, a problem that has occurred in previous years.
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