Photo Caption: Wiper Party leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka (center) speaks during a media briefing in Nairobi on September 16, 2026.
NAIROBI, September 16, 2026 — Opposition leaders led by Wiper Party leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka have hailed the High Court ruling nullifying the Government’s sale of a 15 per cent stake in Safaricom PLC, describing the decision as a victory for Kenyans and a vindication of the legal challenge against the transaction.
Speaking during a media briefing in Nairobi , Kalonzo, who was lead counsel for the petitioners, said the judgment had restored a strategic national asset to the people of Kenya.
“The people have won. Safaricom is coming home. This is not merely a legal victory. It is a declaration that Kenya’s sovereignty is not for sale,” Kalonzo said.
He said Safaricom was not an ordinary commercial entity, citing its importance to the country’s communications, financial services and economy.
“Safaricom is a national institution, conceived in Kenya, built by Kenyans and sustained every single day by more than 30 million of our people who depend on it. Such an entity cannot be handed to an outside interest in the dark,” he said.
Kalonzo said the court had quashed the transaction, Session Paper No. 3 of 2025 and the parliamentary approval, and ordered the 15 per cent stake restored to the Government on behalf of Kenyans.
He said the transaction involved the sale of 6.01 billion Safaricom shares at KSh34 per share, amounting to KSh204.3 billion, in addition to KSh40.2 billion taken as an advance against future dividends.
“Let Kenyans hear the arithmetic plainly. On 30th June 2026, the Government sold 6.01 billion Safaricom shares, fifteen per cent of the company, at KSh34 per share KSh204.3 billion for the stake alone,” Kalonzo said.
He also questioned the valuation process and said the Government had not disclosed the method used to determine the price of the stake.
Kalonzo further criticised the transaction process, citing what he described as inadequate public participation, non-disclosure of information and failure to undertake relevant assessments.
“The Government chose the buyer, drafted the agreement, and fixed the price before pretending to consult the people. The buyer was switched without a word to Kenyans, information was concealed, and even the advisors were improperly procured,” he said.
DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa congratulated Kalonzo, the petitioners and Kenyans, saying the ruling was significant to millions of citizens who use Safaricom and M-Pesa.
“I would like to congratulate the people of Kenya for this victory. It is a victory not just for Kalonzo Musyoka and the petitioners, it is a victory for all Kenyans,” Wamalwa said.
He said the case demonstrated the role of the Judiciary in scrutinising major decisions by other arms of Government.
“And today we say thank you that the Judiciary remains our shield and defender, as our national anthem sings. This is not just the first case, and we will continue fighting for the people,” Wamalwa said.
Wamalwa also criticised Parliament’s handling of the transaction, alleging that it approved the relevant Session Paper despite court proceedings having already commenced.DP party leader Justin Muturi said the ruling concerned both current and future generations of Kenyans.
“I want to associate myself with the sentiments expressed by my colleagues, and more particularly to congratulate the team led by His Excellency Kalonzo Musyoka in pushing a matter that indeed belongs to the people of Kenya,” Muturi said.
He said the decision demonstrated the importance of constitutional institutions in protecting democratic governance.
“We remain vigilant, and we are hopeful and happy that indeed our Judiciary remains our last line of defence. This is proof that indeed Kenya is a functioning democratic state,” Muturi said.
Muturi said the opposition would continue scrutinising Government economic policies, including proposed transactions involving State-owned enterprises.
The remarks followed the High Court decision of September 15, 2026, in which a three-judge bench declared the Safaricom share sale unconstitutional, null and void and ordered the restoration of the 15 per cent stake to the Government.
The Government is expected to challenge the decision through the appellate courts.
