Salasya rebukes Alice Ng’ang’a over her advice to Ruto on Safaricom and KPC sale
By Kenneth Mwenda, December 15, 2025Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya has publicly rebuked Thika MP Alice Wambui Ng’ang’a following her remarks advising President William Ruto that he could sell Safaricom or the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) if he believes doing so would help the country.
In a strongly worded post on X on Monday, December 15, 2025, Salasya said he was responding directly to Ng’ang’a’s position, which he described as reckless and harmful to Kenya’s long-term interests. While acknowledging their personal friendship, Salasya warned that such advice risks pushing the country into economic and political danger.
“Mheshimiwa, wewe ni rafiki sana wangu, and you are a good person destined for greatness,” Salasya wrote, before launching into a sharp critique.
He compared the proposed sale of key parastatals to a man who marries a widow and proceeds to sell off property left behind by her late husband for personal enjoyment.
“Ukipata mwanaume ambaye amerithi bibi ya mtu ama mjane fulani alafu huyo mwanaume kazi yake ni kufurahia … na kuuza sufuria, TV, radio, shamba na vitu zingine za original husband, huyo mwanaume si mzuri.”
He rejected the idea that selling strategic companies amounts to economic reform.
“Any developed countries, they own what they treasure so much,” he said, adding that Kenya should not hand over its communication systems to foreigners.
He cited Dubai, where the state controls transport and communication, and Ethiopia, whose government fully owns the national telecoms firm.
“We can’t give our communication systems to foreigners; when you go to Dubai, they own transport and communication. The Ethiopian government completely owns Telcom.”
Salasya warned that Safaricom and KPC are not ordinary assets but pillars of national security and economic stability. He said selling them would weaken Kenya’s control over critical infrastructure.
“Kama ni nyinyi advisors wa Ruto, basi wacha tuombee Kenya Mungu atulindie amalize tano aende,” Salasya said, turning directly to Ng’ang’a’s proximity to power.
Privatisation plan sparks backlash
Salasya’s remarks come as debate intensifies over the Ruto administration’s privatisation drive. The government plans to sell 15 per cent of its stake in Safaricom to Vodafone, a transaction expected to raise about Sh240.5 billion. Officials say the money will fund the National Sovereign Fund and the National Infrastructure Fund.
The proposal has sparked resistance across the political divide. Opposition leaders, including Rigathi Gachagua and Kalonzo Musyoka, accuse the government of undervaluing public assets and excluding Kenyans from decision-making through what they call an opaque process.
Similar resistance has followed plans to privatise KPC. Although Parliament approved the sale, the High Court halted the process temporarily, citing legal and transparency concerns. Despite this, President Ruto has defended the move as necessary to finance development.