Controversial lawyer and Politician Miguna Miguna has weighed on the government's plan to privatise 11 parastatals, including the Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC)
The government indicated that KICC is “required to be incorporated into a limited company.”
Miguna said KICC must not be privatised.
"The KICC must not be privatised. That’s the RED LINE."
Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai on the other hand, raised concerns about the image of KICC on the Kenyan currency notes, asking if it will still be used on the notes should it be privatised.
“When they eventually sell KICC, do we change our currency or they will have the image of a private property?” he asked.
The inclusion of the KICC on the Kenyan currency notes was unsuccessfully contested in court in 2019.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna on his part said the referendum should have been held for Kenyans to decide whether state assets should be sold to Private entities.
Sifuna said leaders cannot take assets belonging to Kenyans, without the people having a say in it.
He added that on such a matter, even children should be allowed to vote.
"If ever there was a matter over which a referendum was mandatory then it's the sale of national assets like KICC, KPC and the others. One generation of greedy leaders cannot just strip a nation of its assets without reference to the people," Sifuna said.
"On this one, even our children should vote because KICC is not even our property as the current generation of adults!"
Other corporations to be sold are Kenya Literature Bureau, National Oil Corporation, Kenya Seed Company Limited, Mwea Rice Mills, Western Kenya Rice Mills Limited, Kenya Pipeline Company, New Kenya Cooperative Creameries, Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers Limited, Rivatex East Africa Limited and Numerical Machining Complex.
The government revealed that one of the reasons it was selling the Kenya Literature Bureau and KICC was because the two parastatals needed to be incorporated into limited companies.
On the other hand, National Oil Company is being privatised largely because of poor financial performance.
