In an unexpected turn of events, John Mbadi, the former chairman of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), has made a claim that could send shockwaves through Kenya’s political landscape.
During a recent vetting session, Mbadi asserted that the core philosophies of ODM and the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) are virtually indistinguishable. This bold assertion has left both political observers and committee members baffled.
Mbadi’s comments came in response to a probing question from Suna East MP, Junnet Mohammed, who is part of the Parliamentary Vetting Committee led by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula.
The session, which was intended to scrutinise Mbadi’s suitability for his new role as National Treasury Secretary under President William Ruto, took an unexpected turn as Mbadi began to address the ideological similarities between ODM and UDA.
The notion of the “Bottom Up Agenda,” a key pillar of President Ruto’s administration, was central to the discussion. Mbadi, who is known for his sharp political insights, declared that “Bottom Up is a concept of UDA. If you look at the philosophy of UDA and ODM there is no difference.”
His assertion that both parties essentially advocate for social democracy stunned many.
Adding fuel to the fire, Mbadi elaborated on his claim by highlighting that the Beta Concept—another initiative promoted by UDA—is focused on job creation, lowering the cost of living, boosting agricultural productivity, and advancing the digital economy.
“Look at Beta, what is it about? It is about job creation. It is about the cost of living. It is about agricultural productivity. It talks about the digital economy,” he stated.
For those accustomed to the polarised political narratives in Kenya, Mbadi’s comments could seem revolutionary. The former ODM chair, who is also a trained accountant, drew parallels between the Beta Concept and ODM’s own manifesto.
He argued that both ideologies emphasise value addition in agriculture, albeit with different terminologies.
“Actually, the Beta Concept is on value addition. Now ODM manifesto which I participated in drafting we had manufacturing emphasising on Agriculture. But now Beta is about agriculture for value addition. ODM, agriculture for manufacturing. Semantics,” Mbadi remarked.
The reaction from the vetting committee was a mix of disbelief and amusement. The idea that two of Kenya’s most significant political parties could share such fundamental ideological similarities was met with laughter and incredulity.
Mbadi is one of four picks from the opposition chief, Raila Odinga, in the ‘broad-based’ government. Kenyans have been skeptical of how the opposition will operate in Cabinet.
However, Mbadi responded asserting, “There is the Constitution and Public Finance Management Act that will guide my conduct in office.”
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