Kenyans have turned on Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi after he blamed his successor, Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, for the poor state of roads exposed during Sunday's chaotic Linda Mwananchi tour of Homa Bay County.
The tour, led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other opposition figures, was disrupted after goons barricaded main roads leading to rally venues, forcing the convoy onto rough, dusty routes.
The images, streamed live, reopened a debate about development in Homa Bay County and the wider Luo Nyanza region, with critics tying the complaint to 16 years of devolution under the 2010 constitution.
Defenders of the Kenya Kwanza administration had earlier warned the Linda Mwananchi team against using infrastructure built under President William Ruto, arguing the region had been transformed since its leaders began working with the government under the broad-based arrangement.
"Ironically, the area MP who has abdicated his duties is their secretary general. What an own goal!" Mbadi said, sharing a photo of one of the dusty roads in Suba South.
Omondi, who was elected in 2022 and is in his fourth year in Parliament, serves as secretary general of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition.
Mbadi represented the larger Gwassi constituency and later Suba South, after it was split into Suba South and Suba North, for 15 years as an elected MP and a further two years as a nominated MP, before becoming Treasury Cabinet Secretary.
Kenyans online questioned what he had accomplished in that time.
"But, but, but you been an MP for 15 solid years. Show us what you did. Not what their SG has not been able to do in four years. Makes sense?" asked Okanga.
"It's actually 17 years, he was nominated a minister in 2024," noted Meshack Wafula.
"15 years as an MP and you did nothing. Before you tweet jiite ka mkutano please don't just tweet," wrote Daniellah, using a Swahili phrase meaning "attend a meeting."
"You can't hide behind marginalisation to evade accountability, Ndugu. You were MP for 15 years and you did nothing. You are now CS and all we hear is that you brought two transformers to your area," Anwar Saddat added.
Others referenced Mbadi's past use of the word "soda" in unrelated public remarks, turning it into a recurring jab.
"Soda expert, tell us how you used soda to improve their livelihoods while serving as MP for 15 years?" posed Godffrey Otieno.
Mbadi, however, maintained the Linda Mwananchi team had selectively shown what suited its narrative.
"Every major highway has a dusty feeder road. Fact! Quite laughable how the roaming tourists deceitfully picked what to magnify," he said, attaching a clip he said showed the convoy driving on a newly tarmacked stretch between Kigwa and Magunga along the Sindo-Magunga-Sori Highway, which he credited to the Ruto administration.
That claim, too, drew pushback.
"The last time I checked you were calling that particular road a feeder road, meaning you haven't been pushing for its construction all those years," countered Axe Global Markets.
Members of Parliament oversee the National Government Constituencies Development Fund, a kitty they allocate to fund roads, schools and other projects in their constituencies.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has been cited as an example of a legislator who has properly used the fund to build roads and schools.
Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo, who condemned Sunday's violence against the Linda Mwananchi team, disputed Mbadi's characterisation of the roads shown.
"Most of our roads are bad in Suba South and North. Let us stop cheating people by saying those are feeder roads and that the main roads were barricaded. What you see, other than Homabay to Mbita and Rusinga ring road, are the main roads," Odhiambo said.
"We have been marginalised for years. Sugarcoating it by calling the bad roads feeder roads will stop the government from prioritising these roads," she explained.
