Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya has criticised the Kenyan government’s decision to offload a 15 per cent stake in Safaricom to Vodacom.

Salasya has become the latest leader to break his silence after the move taken by the state has ignited intense public debate, balancing optimism about a major financial windfall against concerns over long-term national interests.

The particular deal is priced at Ksh34 per share, about a 20 per cent premium on the market rate. The sale is expected to raise approximately Ksh244–245 billion for the State, including an advance dividend payment. Once completed, Vodacom’s effective control of Safaricom will rise to around 55 per cent, while government ownership will drop from 35 per cent to roughly 20 per cent.

Taking his frustration to X on Saturday, December 6, 2025, the youthful MP outlined reasons why he is against the state’s move in the Safaricom stake sale and good-performing government-owned institutions and the new concept of infrastructure fund.

Salasya frustrated

”They came up with KNTC milked it dry, and they no longer talk about it, and now they are talking about the Infrastructure Fund. History repeats itself,” Salasya argued.

”Under President William Ruto, the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) became the government’s favourite laundromat, the official washing machine for shady imports, inflated tenders, and midnight procurement. Everything this regime pushed through KNTC, edible oil, rice, sugar, maize, fertiliser, carries the same unmistakable stench: inflated prices, irregular deals, mysterious suppliers, and billions that disappeared like smoke,” the MP added.

Salasya went ahead to blast Ruto over what he terms as lies in the transaction.

”And the lies, my friends, the lies are endless. President Ruto, every time you open your mouth, it’s another promise, another parable, another motivational speech, but behind the scenes, your government is squeezing Kenyans dry,” the legislator said.

”How do you preach ‘bottom-up’ when you turned KNTC into a corruption conveyor belt? Kenyans watched you lose KSh16 billion in the edible-oil saga. We watched rice overpriced, sugar contaminated, maize imports done in darkness, and fertiliser scandals dressed as miracles,” Peter Salasya lamented.

What the deal involves

Premium sale price: Vodacom agreed to pay Ksh34 per share for the 15 per cent block, a clear premium over the trading price, offering the State a favourable deal.

Total proceeds: The government is set to receive about Ksh204.3 billion from the share sale plus an additional Ksh40.2 billion in advance dividends, totalling roughly Ksh244–245 billion.

Change in control: The move strengthens Vodacom/Vodafone’s grip on Safaricom to around 55 per cent, while Kenya’s ownership shrinks to 20 per cent, raising questions about future influence over a strategic telecom asset.

However, Salasya has described the deal as a beautifully packaged fraud designed to create a new runway to loot taxpayer money.

”This fund is NOT development, it is a cleverly disguised tunnel into every remaining public institution, every parastatal, every asset Kenya owns. They want to sell Safaricom. They want to cripple National Oil. They want to grab public land through housing schemes and resell it back to Kenyans at inflated prices,” he claimed.