ADVERT 
President William Ruto has lifted the lid on a pivotal behind-the-scenes decision that shaped Kenya’s current power structure, revealing he overruled Raila Odinga to appoint John Mbadi as Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury in a calculated move to dismantle entrenched ethnic perceptions.
In a candid disclosure on Monday, Ruto said the two leaders—partners in the broad-based government arrangement—held high-stakes consultations on Cabinet positions but diverged sharply on the powerful finance docket.
“I remember very well, my brother Raila Odinga had a different view on who should be Minister for Finance,” Ruto said. “But I told him that if there was one place I would defy him, it was in appointing someone from Luo Nyanza.”
The President framed the decision not as political defiance, but as a deliberate intervention against what he termed long-standing “negative profiling” of communities perceived to be excluded from economic stewardship.
“This was about correcting a dangerous narrative—that some communities neither understand nor belong in managing the economy,” he said. “That the economy is the preserve of a few. That must change.”
Ruto was speaking while receiving a report from the Kenya National Human Rights Commission on reparations for victims of human rights violations during recent protests—an issue he linked to the broader national agenda of equity, justice, and inclusion.
The Head of State confirmed that the government has set aside Ksh2 billion to compensate victims, underscoring that the gesture is symbolic rather than restorative.
“This will never replace lives lost or heal the deep scars borne by victims,” he said. “But it is an acknowledgment that harm was done—and that the State accepts responsibility.”
At the same time, Ruto struck a careful balance, warning against the misuse of compensation as justification for lawlessness or excessive force.
“Compensation must not embolden violence from protesters, nor excuse brutality from those tasked with maintaining order,” he cautioned.
Reaffirming constitutional freedoms, the President stressed that the right to protest, picket, and demonstrate is not a government concession, but a fundamental right guaranteed to all Kenyans.
The reparations framework stems from the NADCO report, a cornerstone of the political truce between Ruto and Odinga designed to ease tensions and chart a path toward national cohesion.
However, Ruto’s revelation is likely to stir fresh political debate, particularly around the delicate question of ethnic balancing in senior government appointments—a fault line that continues to define Kenya’s political calculus.
With one decision, the President not only reshaped his Cabinet—but also reignited a national conversation on power, perception, and who truly gets to manage Kenya’s economic destiny.
