For years, Budget Day at Parliament Buildings has come with a familiar image of the Treasury Cabinet Secretary making the short ceremonial journey to the National Assembly aboard the iconic grey Volkswagen Passat.
On Thursday, however, the script changed. Treasury CS John Mbadi ditched the traditional German sedan and instead arrived in a grey 2016 Peugeot 508, marking a subtle but noticeable break from a ritual that has defined Kenya's budget-making process for more than a decade.
The Peugeot, bearing a customised registration plate inscribed "BUDGET FY 2026-2027", emerged from the National Treasury headquarters shortly after midday under heavy police escort. What should ordinarily have been a journey of less than 750 metres turned into a slow-moving procession that took nearly 20 minutes as security officers sealed off sections of Harambee Avenue and managed crowds that had gathered to witness the annual spectacle.
Before departure, Mr Mbadi and senior Treasury officials paused for the customary Budget Day photographs outside the Treasury building.
"We have prepared this budget on the basis of zero-based budgeting, meaning that every expenditure has been justified and not just increased from previous allocations. We are looking at the state departments and what they are actually doing to improve the economy. If you look at some departments such as Energy, we have reduced the budgetary allocation to Sh35 billion because we realised most of the projects being undertaken are commercially viable and can be financed outside the budget," Mr Mbadi said on the sidelines.
Dressed in matching blue suits, the officials lined up around the Cabinet Secretary in a carefully choreographed display that has become part of the budget tradition. Mr Mbadi stood out with a red flower pinned neatly on his left lapel while clutching the famous black budget briefcase emblazoned with the Kenyan coat of arms and the word "Harambee".
As the convoy pulled away from Treasury, a small group of supporters attempted to push through the security cordon to catch a glimpse of the Cabinet Secretary. Police officers quickly moved in to hold them back as the motorcade slowly snaked its way towards Parliament Buildings.
The journey unfolded under an unusually heavy security presence, with officers from the National Police Service and the General Service Unit lining the route and escorting the convoy through Nairobi's central business district.
But there was drama too. Plain-clothes police officers arrested activist Julius Kamau in the city centre during the budget proceedings. Mr Kamau has become a familiar figure during Budget Day ceremonies and is notorious for disrupting events involving Treasury Cabinet Secretaries.
In 2024, he briefly disrupted a Budget Day photo session involving then Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung'u before security officers bundled him away.
The heightened security on Thursday appeared designed to ensure there would be no repeat of previous embarrassments.
National Treasury and Economic Planning CS John Mbadi pose for a photo with a briefcase containing the 2026/2027 budget statement at Parliament Buildings, Nairobi, on June 11, 2026.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group
Upon arrival at Parliament Buildings, Mr Mbadi was received by Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei, flanked by Budget and Appropriations Committee chairman Samuel Atandi, Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwah , Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro and other parliamentary leaders.
The reception marked the final stage of the traditional budget procession before the Treasury chief proceeded to the National Assembly chamber to unveil the government's spending plan for the 2026/27 financial year.
Inside the House, however, the proceedings took on a sombre tone before Mr Mbadi could turn to the numbers.
The Cabinet Secretary requested lawmakers to observe a moment of silence in honour of ODM leader Raila Odinga, describing him as a patriot, statesman and champion of economic and social justice whose influence had shaped the country's political and economic discourse for decades.
"This is the first budget since the passing of Raila Odinga, a patriot, a national hero and a statesman who championed economic justice, social justice and democracy," Mr Mbadi told the House.
He went on to link the budget to the political cooperation that has brought together President William Ruto and the ODM leader.
"The late Raila Odinga was a close partner of President William Ruto and this budget represents the aspirations of the two great leaders in the country. It is a path to Singapore through Canaan," he said.
Treasury CS John Mbadi ahead of the 2026/2027 Budget reading outside Treasury buildings on June 11, 2026.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group
The remarks drew loud applause from sections of the House and underscored the political backdrop against which the budget was being presented.
The tribute was among the most striking moments of the afternoon, coming from a Cabinet Secretary who joined President Ruto's administration through the broad-based political arrangement between Kenya Kwanza and ODM.
Only after the brief pause did Mr Mbadi settle into the task that had brought him to Parliament unveiling a record Sh4.84 trillion budget at a time of economic strain, rising living costs and growing public scrutiny over taxation, government spending and public debt.
