- Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi stated two reasons for accepting President William Ruto's appointment, including avoiding the repetition of history.
- He contended that late vice president Jaramogi Oginga Odinga had the opportunity to become the president but squandered his chance
- According to Mbadi, the singular decision has cost the Luo nation the presidency, which a majority still yearn for, decades after Jaramogi's passing.
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi is one of the ODM die-hard supporters who were appointed to serve in the Kenya Kwanza government following President William Ruto's dissolution of his Cabinet.
Mbadi has revealed the reasoning behind his critical decision to accept the position, attributing his choice to faith, historical context, and the complexities of the political landscape.
The person thought to himself, "Should I take this chance or let it pass me by?" He explained that what made him decide to take it was boiled down to two main factors.
First, he emphasized that no challenge is beyond God's plan. Second, he reflected on Kenya's history, noting a crucial moment that influenced the country's leadership path.
He revisited the story of the late Vice-President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the father of long-standing opposition leader Raila Odinga, who gave up his chance to become President.
He claimed that Jaramogi's decision to pass on the opportunity to the late President Jomo Kenyatta has led to the Luo community being denied the presidency up to this day.
"I thought that God would never give me something I couldn't handle. When Kenya was gaining independence, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga had the chance to become president, but he chose to pass it over to Jomo Kenyatta, believing his own chance would come later. Decades have passed, Jaramogi passed away in 1994, and the Luo community is still waiting for its turn at the presidency," he said.
The Cabinet secretary also examined Kenya's Finance Ministry appointments since independence.
He says that even with 17 ministers in the position, the Luo community has never had the opportunity to represent themselves.
"Out of 17 cabinet ministers, 10 hail from the Mt. Kenya region, three from the Luhya region, two from Kisii, one from Marsabit, and one from the Kalenjin community," he observed.
Reflecting on these patterns, Mbadi said he realized that turning down the appointment could mean being remembered in the same way as Jaramogi.
If I rejected the opportunity, people would compare my story to Jaramogi's, he claimed, "They would say he was given a chance but chose to decline it," So, I decided to take it - whether the outcome is positive or negative, I will learn from it.
However, he explicitly stated that he was appointed to serve Kenya as a whole and assist President Ruto in implementing his transformation agenda, rather than focusing solely on his home county.