- Mbadi serves as the chair of the Public Accounts Committee, which is responsible for holding to account ministries, departments and agencies.
- As ODM chairman, Mbadi advises the Opposition chief Raila Odinga on financial issues including national and party budgets.
Image: FILE
John Mbadi, the man poised to take charge of the National Treasury, has 28 years of experience in the fields of finance, leadership and politics.
The Nominated MP possesses extensive knowledge in public finance encompassing accounting, budgeting, taxation, auditing and finance management.
His career trajectory includes roles ranging from accountant to finance director.
As ODM chairman, Mbadi advises the Opposition chief Raila Odinga on financial issues including national and party budgets.
At the National Assembly, Mbadi serves as the chair of the Public Accounts Committee, which is responsible for holding to account ministries, departments and agencies.
He first joined Parliament when he was elected to represent the Gwassi Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya in 2007.
Mbadi was the MP of Suba South Constituency in the 12th Parliament where he also served as the Leader of the Minority Party
In the run-up to the 2022 elections, Mbadi left tongues wagging when he withdrew from the Homa Bay governor race to concentrate on Raila’s presidential campaigns.
"I have today withdrawn my bid from the Homa Bay County gubernatorial race. I will therefore henceforth place more effort in the Azimio presidential bid and the nationwide bid to have ODM secure as many seats as possible," Mbadi said.
Mbadi said the move was the most difficult decision that he had to make in the recent past and that he made the move after careful discussion with the party officials.
He was set to battle out for the party's ticket with then Woman Representative, Gladys Wanga, who is now the Homa Bay governor.
In September 2012, Mbadi was appointed the Assistant Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, a position he held until the 2013 general elections
Mbadi was in the Public Accounts Committee that looked into the multi-million National Youth Service scandal.
As an ODM leader, Mbadi has helped in setting the agenda around political matters in the country in 2020 and 2021, specifically the handshake and BBI initiative.
In October 2022, Mbadi said the National Assembly needed to reject the majority of President William Ruto’s Cabinet picks.
Speaking during the approval debate of cabinet nominees on Wednesday at parliament, Mbadi said all the 22 nominees were ‘deficient in all ways’.
“We have a choice to make either decision to reject over 60 per cent of these names or give President Ruto his skunk. Let us not interfere with it. We give it to him,” Mbadi said.
“These are not people who can run the government.”
He added that only eight of the 24 picks pass to be in Cabinet while the rest are “incompetent, unqualified, have integrity issues and cannot deliver the country from where it is to the next level”.
Mbadi attended Lingongo Primary School and later joined Kokuro Boys Secondary School for his secondary education.
He attended the University of Nairobi in 1992 and graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2004.
In 2007, he obtained a Master of Business Administration.
Mbadi was Finance Director at Medair East Africa- South Sudan Programme between 2004-2008.
He was a senior accountant at the University of Nairobi from 1999-2003.
Mbadi was an accountant at the University of Nairobi Enterprise Services (UNES) from 2000-2002 and an assistant accountant at the University of Nairobi from 1996-1999.