The High Court has stopped the government’s plan to privatise Kenyatta International Convention Centre and other 10 state corporations.
In a case filed by the Orange Democratic Party (ODM), Justice Chacha Mwita has given orders to stop the privatisation programme theough the conservatory orders until February 6th 2024.
“A conservatory order is hereby issued suspending implementation of section 21(1) of the Privatisation Act 2023 and or any decisions made pursuant to that section, until February 6, 2024, given under my hand and seal of the Honourable court this 4th Day of December 2023.”
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ODM argued that the public assets can only be privatized with the consent of the people at a referendum. This is because they form part of the sovereign wealth of Kenya with significant cultural and strategic importance to the public.
Some of the public companies set to be privatised by the Kenya Kwanza government include: Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB), Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), National Oil Corporation (NOC), Kenya Seed Company Limited, Mwea Rice Mills, and Western Kenya Rice Mills Limited.
Others include: Kenya Pipeline Company, New Kenya Cooperative Creameries, Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers Limited, Rivatex East Africa Limited and Numerical Machining Complex.
This therefore means that the programme will be put on hold till February next year for further directions.
This adds to yet another case that the government is suffering a huge blow after the Finance Act was also declared unconstitutional by the court.
The Kenya Kwanza government continue to experience a rough time implementing most of their plans as they have in most cases been declared illegal by the courts.
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