Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi is now a man under siege as governors, Members of Parliament, and senators have ganged up against him.

Before flying out to the US for a meeting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mbadi was compelled to honour a summons by MPs over the delay in releasing the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Mbadi was hard-pressed to explain why his docket had delayed releasing the funds to the tune of millions, where he promised to fast-track the disbursement.

Before the issue could fully cool down, senators also renewed their battle over the delay in releasing funds to devolved units.

Speaking on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, the senators issued a sharp warning to the CS over chronic delays in disbursing funds to counties.

Led by Deputy Senate Speaker Kathuri Murungi (Meru), the senators decried that Treasury’s actions had threatened to cause financial paralysis in counties.

Murungi stated that the delay had left counties unable to pay salaries or deliver basic services.

“Last week, the Treasury CS appeared before the National Assembly and made commitments regarding the disbursement of NG-CDF funds. Likewise, we’ll summon him to the Senate every quarter to ensure counties receive their rightful share, without delay,” Murungi stated.

His comments came amid growing discontent among county governments and senators over stalled development projects and mounting wage arrears.

With the growing discontent, senators vowed to summon Mbadi at the start of every quarter in a bid to safeguard service delivery and protect counties from financial paralysis.

Nyong’o calls out Ruto

The statement came hours after Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o called out President William Ruto, accusing him of sabotaging county bosses.

In a statement, Nyong’o argued that the Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA) were unnecessary and a betrayal of the spirit of devolution enshrined in the 2010 Constitution.

The governor argued that the two bodies were receiving billions from the exchequer, yet counties were struggling to sustain the health sector.

“The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA) need not exist if the national government is prepared to fully implement devolution,” Nyong’o stated.

“The counties manage health effectively and efficiently. The national government cannot even manage Kenyatta National Hospital, one of the very few health entities in its hands.”

He warned that devolution gains risk being watered down if corrective action would not be taken urgently.