KICC and other parastatals lined up for sale Omtatah was specifically perturbed by Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza regime’s revival of the privatisation programme that would see the government sell public assets and corporations to private entities.. Some corporations lined up for sale include the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Kenya Seed Company, National Oil Corporation, Rift Valley Textiles, Kenya Literature Bureau, Kenya Pipeline Company, and New Kenya Cooperative Creameries. The move to revive the programme after 15 years is part of the reforms supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Omtatah called out the president for endorsing the reforms by the IMF, saying they were not in the best interest of Kenyans. IMF economic reforms proposals to Kenya “The president has surrendered his mind to the minds of the IMF and World Bank, whose sole purpose is to create client states. If you look at the policies rolled out by the Kenya Kwanza administration, they are primarily designed to make Kenya a client state for the IMF.”These are plans to put Kenya on its knees and to keep moving around with a beggar’s bowl. Production in Kenya has become too expensive, the economy is shrinking, and we will begin begging from all over the world, making us a perfect client for the West,” the senator said in a viral video that won applause from Kenyans. The senator accused Ruto of swallowing the issues and proposals by the West without contextualising them and probing the motives behind them, thus putting Kenya on the brink of being slaves to the West. “He has swallowed the issues of the West as they are packaged and does not understand crony capitalism. He has become an agent of the West to destroy an African state. Some of the things he is doing are bordering on treason, and going down the line, he may be impeached if he does not change course,” argued the legislator. William Ruto faces treason accusations Omtatah said the move by the head of state infringed on Article 1 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, which explicitly states that Kenya is a sovereign state and the power belongs to the people, who only delegate it to the leaders. “There is nowhere in his manifesto where he says the IMF and World Bank will govern Kenya. He promised to govern this country, but he is destroying it. He wants to sell public assets, some of which were put up before he was born. “What will the future generations have as a state? What will those who will run the government in future have? We are talking about food, education and health. What will future generations use to finance these key pillars?” Omtatah posed. The sale of the parastatals has raised concern among Kenyans, who question the current regime’s motive.
by Michael Ollinga Oruko