Mbadi casts doubt on Raila’s Ksh6,000 pledge after UDA-ODM deal
By Mustafa Juma, March 11, 2026National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has cast doubt on the feasibility of the Ksh6,000 monthly stipend promised to vulnerable Kenyans by the late Raila Odinga during his 2022 presidential campaigns.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on the night of Tuesday, March 10, 2026, Mbadi said the government can only expand social protection programmes if the country’s economy improves.
Mbadi’s remarks come shortly after the emerging political cooperation between the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Raila’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), with President William Ruto proposing the formation of a broad-based negotiating team to oversee the full implementation of the joint UDA-ODM agenda.
Economic performance
Mbadi said while the government is committed to strengthening social safety nets, the expansion of such programmes will depend on the country’s economic performance.
“If we get our economy on its feet as envisaged, then we will be able to support more social interventions,” Mbadi said.
He noted that the government is already implementing social cash transfer programmes targeting vulnerable citizens, but emphasised that scaling them up requires sufficient economic capacity.
“We are already giving out Ksh2,000 per person to the vulnerable, but that can be upscaled depending on whether our economy can take it,” he said.
Raila’s Ksh6,000 pledge
The comments revive discussion around the Ksh6,000 monthly stipend proposal that Odinga promised during previous election campaigns as part of a broader plan to cushion poor households from rising living costs.
The proposal was framed as a major social protection programme aimed at millions of low-income families across the country.
Kenya currently operates several cash transfer programmes targeting elderly citizens, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable households, which provide monthly stipends of about Ksh2,000.
10-point agenda
The joint Parliamentary Group (PG) of the UDA and ODM has since extended the mandate of its Oversight Committee by 60 days to finalise outstanding matters under the 10-point agenda.
The group on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, also agreed to establish a joint technical committee to develop a shared policy agenda that will guide future coalition discussions.
Speaking during the meeting held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed said each party would nominate four members to the new Technical Committee, while the respective executive directors will serve as joint secretaries.
“The committee resolved to extend the mandate of the oversight committee by 60 days to enable it to finalise outstanding matters arising from the implementation of the agenda. In addition, the joint PG agreed to establish a joint technical committee with each party nominating four members and the respective executive directors serving as joint secretaries,” he stated.