Residents of Kilifi County today had an opportunity to present their views on the proposed Privatization Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 36 of 2025).
This was during a public participation exercise convened by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance and National Planning and the Select Committee on Public Debt and Privatization.
The delegation, led by Finance Committee Chairperson Hon. Kimani Kuria (Molo), engaged residents in a forum that drew mixed reactions regarding the government’s plan to privatize certain state-owned entities.
Some residents expressed concern over inadequate civic education and public awareness on the bill, urging Parliament to extend public participation exercises to give Kenyans more time to understand the proposals.
“We need more clarity on why the government wants to sell public assets and what this means for ordinary citizens,” one resident said, questioning the urgency of the process.
In response, Hon. Kuria explained that the main goal of privatization is to enhance efficiency and improve revenue generation by allowing the private sector to unlock the potential of underperforming state corporations.
“Privatization is critical for government to channel its resources into critical priority areas such as roads, healthcare, and education, while the private sector can better manage commercial enterprises,” Kuria Said.
While some residents opposed the move, others welcomed it, noting that privatization could enable Kenyans to acquire shares in public assets and reduce their heavy reliance on the exchequer for funding.
Residents urged the committee to include strict safeguards to ensure that Kenyans benefit first from share allocations, warning that foreign investors should not dominate ownership of key national assets.
Supporters of the bill emphasized that the government should proceed carefully and avoid disposing of strategic assets without broad and meaningful consultation with the public.
