National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi speaking during the 2025 End-Year Public Service Reflection Dinner in Kisumu on December 7, 2025./HANDOUT
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has warned that Kenya’s tight fiscal space will require stricter discipline, reduced wastage, and unwavering accountability across all government institutions in 2026.
Speaking during the 2025 End-Year Public Service Reflection Dinner in Kisumu, Mbadi said the government entered 2025 with renewed coherence, stronger coordination, and a new ethos of accountability, but must now push harder.
“Corruption is not merely a financial crime. It is a betrayal of public trust and a direct threat to national development,” the CS told senior state officials.
Mbadi said public servants delivered strongly in 2025 by implementing the BETA plan, accelerating job creation initiatives, strengthening food security programmes, and executing Presidential directives.
However, he insisted the coming year must demonstrate even greater integrity and precision.
“Corruption and service delivery cannot coexist. One will inevitably give way and we must ensure it is corruption that yields,” he said.
He endorsed the Zero Fault Audit Campaign championed by the Head of Public Service, calling it a critical mechanism for early detection of weaknesses, documentation, and corrective action.
“Zero fault auditing is not about blame or witch-hunting. It is about ensuring predictability and transparency in public administration,” Mbadi stressed.
The CS warned that Kenya’s constrained fiscal environment demands sharper prioritisation and stricter controls.
“We must ensure that every shilling spent delivers a measurable impact,” he said.
He announced several priority directives for 2026. These include eliminating wastage and non-essential expenditure, restricting foreign travel, reinforcing value-for-money in every project, strengthening State corporations’ governance, and fast-tracking Cabinet decisions and Presidential directives.
Mbadi said boards and CEOs of State corporations will now be held fully accountable for results and compliance.
He emphasized deeper inter-ministerial coordination, shared solutions, discipline, and teamwork as the foundation for improved service delivery.
“A Public Service that works, that serves every Kenyan with dignity, and that is modern and coordinated, must remain our unwavering aspiration,” he said.
The CS praised the dedication of officers who have “managed heavy workloads and complex national assignments” throughout the year, but reminded them that 2026 demands even higher standards.
