I’m exercising, weight loss not due to work pressure – Mbadi

National Treasury CS John Mbadi has sought to address his apparent loss of weight after some quarters attributed it to work-related pressure.

While appearing before the Senate on Wednesday to respond to questions by legislators on various issues, the CS said his weight loss is as a result of deliberate action to stay healthy through exercise.

“There was talk that I have lost weight, I just want to advise those who are graduating in age that you must keep fit, it’s healthy, it’s very good for your health,” he said.

“So I have deliberately been cutting that weight and I will continue to cut. It has nothing to do with pressure [or] stress,” Mbadi added.

The former minority leader in the National Assembly took over the reins at the National Treasury on August 8 replacing Prof Njuguna Ndungu on the 14^th floor office at the Treasury Building.

He was among new CS brought on board after President William Ruto disbanded his previous Cabinet and brought in 10 new faces in response to Gen Z-led protests for better governance.

In a previous interview with the Star shortly after being nominated to the position on July 24, Mbadi acknowledged that the task ahead of him was demanding but he exuded confidence that he was up to the task.

“Of course, I'm very much aware the task bestowed on me is not a mean assignment, especially during this time the country is experiencing deep economic challenges,” he said.

“I promise the people of Kenya I'm not going to disappoint in the government's quest for effective and quality service delivery,” he added.

On Wednesday, Mbadi yet again admitted that his new assignment is demanding but ruled out the pressure that comes with it as the cause of his sudden loss of weight.

“There’s pressure yes at the Treasury, no doubt but it’s not something that is surmounting. It’s something that I’m prepared for and I continue to discharge my duties,” he said.

Among the questions the CS was responding to on the floor of the House was on how to handle the perennial problem of stalled road projects.

The CS said the National Treasury is working on a strategy of integrating all pending bills as part of national debt so that they are all budgeted for.

He, however, said the government has not been budgeting for road construction properly leading to the problematic pending bills and eventual withdrawal of services by contractors.

“You find a road that should cost Sh2 billion, once the Ministry of Roads has Sh200 million, they start it, procure and award. How many years will you need to complete a road of Sh2 billion by allocating Sh200 million?” he asked.

“You need over 10 years to just pay the pending bills. We must come back to the basics and stop playing politics with road construction in this country and ensure that those road projects which are ongoing are completed then we can start other roads.”