Former Attorney General Justin Muturi has noted that 2026 will be the first year in Kenya’s history that a Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury will unveil the National Budget in the absence of a sitting president.

Speaking during a press briefing at the SKM Command Centre in Karen on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, the outspoken former National Assembly Speaker, who has emerged as a vocal critic of President William Ruto, accused the head of state of double standards.

Muturi claimed that while the president is urging Kenyans to tighten their belts due to economic hardships, he continues to travel from one country to another aboard expensive jets funded by taxpayers.

“Tomorrow at 3 pm, the CS for the National Treasury and National Planning, John Mbadi, will be reading the budget estimates for the coming financial year. It will be the first time in the history of independent Kenya that a budget, a national budget, is being presented in the absence of a sitting president,” Muturi said.

Muturi further opined that the president has realised that some of the proposals contained in the 2026 Budget are too painful for ordinary Kenyans and has therefore chosen to be absent during the budget presentation.

Further, the Democratic Party leader also urged Members of Parliament allied to the United Opposition to thoroughly scrutinise the Finance Bill 2026 and insist on voting on each clause individually rather than approving it wholesale.

He encouraged them to remain steadfast and vote against any provisions they believe are detrimental to Kenyans, regardless of their numerical disadvantage in Parliament. According to Muturi, doing so would place them on the right side of history.

He further called for the establishment of a single Treasury account, arguing that all government contracts should strictly align with approved budget allocations to address the persistent challenge of pending bills.

United Oppositions press conference

During the press conference, the United Opposition also unveiled what it described as an alternative budget framework that it wants the government to adopt and which it would implement if it takes power. Among its proposals are significant cuts to travel expenditures by government ministries and a reduction of the overall national budget by Ksh1 trillion.

The coalition announced that details of its proposed 2026/2027 alternative budget will be published in the local dailies for public scrutiny and discussion.

Budget reading

This also comes on the eve of Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi’s presentation of the 2026/2027 National Budget, which is estimated to be a record Ksh4.79 trillion.

Muturi’s remarks come at a time when President William Ruto is away on a three-nation European tour, having departed Kenya on June 7, 2026, for visits to Belgium, Norway, and Finland.