Mbadi questions Kalonzo, Muturi over lawsuit against Safaricom share sale
By Mabonga Makhanu, July 4, 2026Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has criticised Kalonzo Musyoka and former Attorney General Justin Muturi over their decision to challenge the government’s proposed divestiture of its shares in Safaricom in court.
Speaking to journalists in Kisumu on Saturday, July 4, 2026, Mbadi questioned whether the opposition leaders had conducted any public consultations before filing the case.
“The question I want to ask Kalonzo Musyoka, JB Muturi and the rest who are contesting this Safaricom divestiture is: Where have you conducted public consultation? I did, on behalf of the government,” Mbadi said.
Public participation
The Treasury CS accused the opposition of making conclusions without first engaging Kenyans, arguing that public participation should apply to both the government and the opposition.
“You sit in your houses, maybe with your children, and then come out and say this is what Kenyans want. As we call for good governance in government, we must also call for proper governance among the opposition. The fact that you are in the opposition does not give you the latitude to speak without consulting,” he said.
Mbadi maintained that he had not seen any evidence of public engagement by Kalonzo, Muturi or other petitioners to establish whether Kenyans support the proposal to transfer the government’s Safaricom shares into a national infrastructure fund.
“I have not seen any public engagement anywhere conducted by Kalonzo, JB Muturi and the rest to determine whether Kenyans would want the divestiture of shares in Safaricom to be put into a National Infrastructure Fund to finance public infrastructure projects. They just make conclusions on their own and decide that is what Kenyans want. I think that is irresponsible,” he added.
His remarks come after Kalonzo and Muturi moved to court to challenge the proposed divestiture of the government’s stake in Safaricom, arguing that the plan should not proceed without complying with constitutional and legal requirements.
Mbadi, however, insisted that constitutional litigation and economic governance are not mutually exclusive, defending the government’s proposal as part of its broader strategy to finance infrastructure development.
The divestiture
This comes after Vodacom Group Limited has completed its acquisition of an additional 20 per cent effective stake in Safaricom PLC, lifting its total ownership to about 55 per cent. The deal gives Vodacom majority control of Kenya’s largest telecom and mobile money operator after months of legal, regulatory and parliamentary scrutiny.
The transaction closed on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, following the lifting of court restrictions by the Court of Appeal in Kenya on June 26, 2026, and the completion of all remaining conditions. Vodacom said the acquisition allows it to consolidate Safaricom fully in its financial statements under IFRS rules.