Machakos Stakeholders Demand Prosecution of Parastatal Bosses Ahead of Privatization Bill

By Andrew Mbuva 

Stakeholders in Machakos County have demanded the prosecution of managers of struggling parastatals earmarked for privatization under the proposed Privatization Bill, 2025.

Speaking during the third day of public participation forums, residents argued that mismanagement was to blame for the collapse of non-profit-making entities and insisted that those responsible must be investigated and compelled to refund misused public resources.

“We cannot move forward to privatize non-profit-making entities without holding the managers who took them to their knees accountable. We want all those who embezzled the funds meant for these parastatals arrested and prosecuted,” said Jonathan Ndambuki, one of the participants.

The Lower Eastern delegation, led by Kitui Rural MP David Mwalika, heard concerns that privatization without accountability would not address the root causes of inefficiency. Members of the Finance, National Planning, Public Debt, and Privatization Committees were also pressed to disclose the number of parastatals targeted in the Bill.

In his response, Mwalika revealed that 80 percent of the more than 200 parastatals in the country currently rely on the exchequer for survival. He clarified that the responsibility of identifying which entities to privatize lies with the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, John Mbadi, with Parliament having the final say.

“The list will be brought to Parliament which has the power to either add more parastatals or remove some before it is approved or rejected,” Mwalika told residents.

Locals further raised concerns about inadequate civic education, lamenting that they were being rushed through the public participation process without sufficient time to understand the Bill’s contents.

The delegation is scheduled to continue collecting views today at the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) in Kitengela, Kajiado County.