Give Mbadi benefit of doubt if he assumes office at Treasury

John Mbadi Ng'ongo nominee for the position of The National Treasury and Economic Planning CS before the Committee on Appointments at the Mini Chambers, County Hall, Nairobi. August 3rd,2024 [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

I followed keenly the interview for Cabinet Secretary nominee of the National Treasury, Mr. John Mbadi, given the premium accorded to the position.

Going by data mined from social media, majority voices seemed dismissive, viewing Mbadi as an archetype of the litany of candidates who promise heaven but deliver hell.

However, many others, I included, chose optimism. All the reactions notwithstanding, it’s important we interrogate why despondency is in the air.

To be fair to those who dismissed Mbadi’s defence, Kenyans have previously witnessed candidates perform well during interviews only to turn overly ineffective once in office. We also got cases of those who were outright clueless during interviews, and, true to their performance, proved inept.

But this is not the main reason Kenyans are irate. It is rumoured that the presidency doesn’t heed advice from experts.

Granted, Mbadi’s vast experience as an accountant and a long-serving member of the parliamentary Budget Appropriation Committee won’t count for anything. I don’t want to believe that this will be the case.

Secondly, many have a feeling that Mbadi may join the long list of those who abandon their stand once in office. On this, I leave him to his fate.

Any right-thinking citizen should be awake to the current 'reject moment' and, hence, not do anything silly. Mbadi will be careful not to walk into trouble, considering the mood in the country and his previous resolve for accountability.

The President, similarly, is seized of the current atmosphere of skepticism, rage and despair. He has equally learnt lessons from the shoddy performance of some of his picks, and the dishonesty from some cheerleaders, all who failed him. Going forward, everyone must do their work, and be seen as such.

The nominees, once approved, will form the first-ever Cabinet that will be under the radar of citizens. They must be awake to this reality.

Mbadi must remain true to himself and the country, considering that the ‘reject’ moment erupted from his docket-to-be. He must lead the pack in finding money without necessarily overtaxing individuals and businesses. He must identify leakage points, wastage avenues and tax evasion schemes and hang them out to dry.

I heard him rightfully term our Constitution as unnecessarily expensive; he must follow through and in consultation, suggest ways out of the conundrum. He must equally rein in sleaze within County governments, beginning with their corrupt procurement practices.

The 2020 National Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Policy must be adhered to in line with its promise – fairness, equity, transparency, competitiveness, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness.

The writer is a lecturer at Alupe University