Treasury Cabinets Secretary John Mbadi has challenged Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro to raise his concerns over the sale of Safaricom shares in Parliament instead of engaging in televised talk shows.
He told the Kiharu legislator to face him before the National Assembly Committees for a balanced debate to get a factual and realistic picture of the controversy-riddled sale of Safaricom shares.
Speaking in Bondo during a fundraiser, CS Mbadi disclosed that he was set to shed more light before the Finance and Planning Committee and also the Privatization Committee to put records straight about the highly politicized transaction early next year, when Parliament resumes.
The CS was responding to calls by Nyoro to engage him in a televised debate on the government’s sale of giant Telco shares, which he says have been significantly undervalued and the sale of shares at the proposed Sh 34 per share will result in a huge loss for the public fund.
Mbadi said that as a Member of Parliament representing the people of Kiharu, Nyoro had the right to hold him accountable, but only through structured dialogue.
“I don’t want you to use me to make a name. If you have anything that you think is not right with the divestiture in Safaricom shares I will appear before the Joint Committee of the National Assembly, where you sit,” said Mbadi.
“Standing Orders of the National Assembly allows any member to appear before committees. “Just put together all your questions and I will answer them before the joint committee,” he added.
The Treasury CS stated that Nyoro’s objection to offloading 15 percent of Safaricom shares is hypocrisy, because he is on record having asked former president Uhuru Kenyatta to sell Safaricom to raise money for the government.
He said Nyoro is a senior member of the UDA Party and understands its manifesto, and the only reason why he is opposing the strategy is because he does not want the government to deliver.
Mbadi reiterated that what the government is trying to do with the partial offloading of Safaricom shares is going to help the country take off.
By Brian Ondeng
