National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi is facing severe parliamentary sanctions, including a potential censure motion and arrest, for repeatedly failing to appear before the National Assembly's Finance and National Planning Committee. On Tuesday, November 4, 2025, committee members voiced their frustration over what they termed as blatant contempt of Parliament, stating the CS has consistently ignored invitations to respond to urgent matters of national importance.

The committee, chaired by Molo MP Kuria Kimani, has warned that it will invoke its constitutional powers to compel Mr. Mbadi's appearance. “It cannot be that he finds time to attend committee meetings in the Senate and others here but when it comes to ours, he is unavailable,” stated Mr. Kimani on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. He revealed that since his appointment in August 2024, CS Mbadi has only appeared before the crucial committee once.

Unanswered Questions on Public Assets and Funds

The immediate cause for the latest summons revolves around several high-stakes financial matters affecting the Kenyan public. CS Mbadi was scheduled to provide answers on the impending sale of the Uchumi Langata Hyper Land (LR. No. 209/12593) under a 2018 insolvency petition, a matter raised by Soy MP David Kiplagat who fears the loss of public land.

Further inquiries the CS has allegedly evaded include the unlawful occupation of the College of Insurance land in Nairobi and disputed tax arrears owed to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) by National Government-Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) committees, a query initiated by Mwingi Central MP Dr. Gideon Mulyungi.

This pattern of absence is not isolated. Throughout 2025, CS Mbadi has been accused of snubbing various parliamentary committees in both the National Assembly and the Senate, creating a consistent record of friction with the legislative arm of government.

• August 2025: The Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy threatened to initiate an impeachment process against Mbadi and his Principal Secretary, Chris Kiptoo, for failing to attend a meeting to resolve the non-release of Sh30 billion to Kenya Power for the Rural Electrification Scheme.
• August 2025: The Senate Labour Committee summoned CS Mbadi over his repeated failure to appear and address issues concerning delayed pension payments for retirees from state corporations.
• May 2025: Senators, led by Speaker Amason Kingi, called for a censure motion after the CS sent a letter just 30 minutes before a scheduled plenary session to announce his absence, citing vague “other engagements.”
• April 2025: Mbadi was summoned following a heated session where MPs criticized significant delays in the disbursement of NG-CDF funds, which threatened to prevent underprivileged students from accessing bursaries for the new school term.

Constitutional Powers and Political Implications

Under Article 125 of the Constitution, Parliament and its committees have the power to summon any person, including a Cabinet Secretary, to provide evidence or information. Failure to honour a summons can lead to enforcement measures, including fines or arrest warrants, as stipulated under the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act.

The persistent disregard for these summonses has been interpreted by legislators as an attempt to undermine parliamentary oversight of the national Treasury, a critical function for ensuring accountability in the management of public finances. Kitui Rural MP David Mwalika questioned if this conduct was the “kind of expertise that led to his poaching from ODM.”

The escalating conflict highlights the delicate balance of power between the executive and a legislature seeking to assert its oversight authority. While CS Mbadi has also clashed with Parliament on policy matters, such as the implementation of the e-procurement system, his continued absence from committee hearings poses a direct challenge to constitutional mechanisms of accountability. The coming weeks will determine whether the Finance Committee will act on its threats, potentially triggering a significant political confrontation with profound implications for governance in Kenya.