Kenya, May 11 -- Reports in the media and on social media say that Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has bought a property worth KSh 100 million. It is claimed that he paid for it in full using foreign money just a few months after he started working in President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) government.

These claims do not have solid evidence and have started a discussion among the public about the honesty and wealth of government officials.

The rumours began on X, where users like @sholard_mancity wrote, "Reports say John Mbadi has bought a KSh 100 million property. from his KSh 600,000 salary," suggesting that something wrong might be happening with "kickbacks".

Another user, @_James041, shared an older video of Mbadi talking about corruption, suggesting that this purchase shows problems with how things work. A third user, @awkeitakelvin, claimed Mbadi was "living large", which made people wonder where his money is coming from.

Some sources say the gossip may have begun from a column in the Sunday Nation, which is not known for strong facts.

During his job interview in August 2024, Mbadi said he has a net worth of KSh 380 million, which he has earned over 28 years as an accountant and politician, including time as Suba South MP and Minority Leader. His current salary as Cabinet Secretary is KSh 957,000 a month.

Mbadi, who became Treasury CS on August 8, 2024, has spoken strongly about being careful with money and fighting against corruption. He has said that Kenya loses KSh 2 billion every day because of corruption.

In a statement in March 2025, he mentioned that if they could cut this loss in half, it would save KSh 365 billion each year, which is more than Kenya's KSh 280 billion debt due in 2025.

However, some critics remember his comments at a meeting with East African Revenue Authorities in November 2024, where he suggested that corrupt officials might invest in other countries to escape being watched, which raised concerns given the current claims against him.

The Treasury hasn't responded to the claims about the property purchase, and Mbadi's office has not said anything. Reactions on X are mixed, with some people asking for answers and others dismissing the stories as unverified gossip.

As Kenya deals with a huge KSh 11 trillion debt and economic challenges, these claims have increased the scrutiny on Mbadi's financial activities.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.