Homa Bay roads: Mbadi mocks Sifuna, Linda Mwananchi for cherry-picking what to post

National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has responded to criticism from the Linda Mwananchi movement over videos showcasing dusty roads in Homa Bay County. The national government official accused the political team of selectively picking poor stretches of road to create a misleading image of infrastructure development in the region.

Mbadi, who is also a former Suba South MP, pointed out that every major highway is connected by dusty feeder roads, questioning the choice made by the Linda Mwananchi convoy to focus on a specific section of the Sindo–Magunga–Sori Highway. The convoy's choice of a feeder road over showcasing improved major highways has been deemed laughable by Mbadi.

This response adds a new political dimension to the ongoing debate about the state of roads in Homa Bay, with rival political leaders exchanging accusations over responsibility for the county's infrastructure challenges. The debate intensified after Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other Linda Mwananchi leaders toured Homa Bay on Sunday, highlighting the poor conditions of the roads they encountered.

The controversy shifted from politics to infrastructure, with residents and politicians debating the representativeness of the roads showcased by the Linda Mwananchi team. Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo emphasized that most roads in Suba South and North are in poor condition and criticized the dismissal of these roads as mere feeder roads.

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga acknowledged the poor state of some roads in Suba but attributed it to years of political and economic marginalization. She criticized those mocking the roads, stating that residents have supported national struggles for constitutional reforms and development without receiving adequate returns. Wanga highlighted the recently tarmacked Suba road, signed off by Mbadi, to demonstrate the county's progress.