Ngao ya Sponji
JF-Expert Member
- Jul 26, 2018
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State to sell 26 companies to finance current budget
The Privatisation Commission has approved sale of 26 state-owned corporations to raise funds to support the budget.
The commission, under the Privatisation Act, 2005, was mandated to sell 26 poorly performing state corporations to cut down government spending.
Those approved for sale are National Bank of Kenya, Consolidated Bank of Kenya, Kenya Meat Commission, Development Bank of Kenya, East African Portland Cement, Kengen, Kenya Pipeline Corporation, Kenya Ports Authority, and five sugar millers β Chemilil, Sony, Nzoia, Miwani and Muhoroni.
Others are Agrochemical and Food Corporation, New Kenya Co-operative Creameries, Numerical Machining Complex and Isolated Power stations, hotels (Kabarnet Hotel, Mt Elgon Lodge Ltd, Golf Hotel Ltd, Sunset Hotel Ltd and Kenya Safari Lodges and Hotels Ltd).
Also targetted are Kenya Tourism Development Corporation-associated companies, which include International Hotels Kenya Ltd, Kenya Hotels Properties Ltd, Mountain Lodge Ltd and Ark Ltd.
The sale is also set to boost activity on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, as some are expected to float shares through initial public offerings once they are privatised.
Read: Painful budget cuts to reduce runaway spending
The plan has, however, been delayed over the years as a result of bureaucracy in approval of the transactions by the Executive and the proposed parastatal reforms.
The slow process has been pegged on initial freezing of the programme in 2013 and limiting implementation to only a few transactions in 2014.
Over the past 10 years, the commission has only managed to carry out one transaction, which was the sale of 26 per cent stake in Kenya Wine Agencies Ltd (KWAL) to South Africaβs Distell Group Ltd in 2014.
In 2017, Distell increased its shareholding in KWAL to 52.43 per cent after acquiring an additional 26.4 per cent stake from Centum Investments.
In the 2015-16 audit report on state firms, Auditor General Edward Ouko noted that at least 36 parastatals were insolvent, requiring a capital injection of Sh118.76 billion to prevent collapse.
He pinned the firmsβ poor performance on uncollected debts running into billions of shillings dating back to the 1990s, unapproved increase in expenditure and double payment of debts owed to service providers.
The report showed that while some firms are still financially sound, there are several questionable dealings, coupled with huge losses, which could grow the list of insolvent corporations.
Currently, there are 262 state corporations and agencies but the government plans to reduce them to 187 by merging them to eliminate duplication.
The Privatisation Commission has approved sale of 26 state-owned corporations to raise funds to support the budget.
The commission, under the Privatisation Act, 2005, was mandated to sell 26 poorly performing state corporations to cut down government spending.
Those approved for sale are National Bank of Kenya, Consolidated Bank of Kenya, Kenya Meat Commission, Development Bank of Kenya, East African Portland Cement, Kengen, Kenya Pipeline Corporation, Kenya Ports Authority, and five sugar millers β Chemilil, Sony, Nzoia, Miwani and Muhoroni.
Others are Agrochemical and Food Corporation, New Kenya Co-operative Creameries, Numerical Machining Complex and Isolated Power stations, hotels (Kabarnet Hotel, Mt Elgon Lodge Ltd, Golf Hotel Ltd, Sunset Hotel Ltd and Kenya Safari Lodges and Hotels Ltd).
Also targetted are Kenya Tourism Development Corporation-associated companies, which include International Hotels Kenya Ltd, Kenya Hotels Properties Ltd, Mountain Lodge Ltd and Ark Ltd.
The sale is also set to boost activity on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, as some are expected to float shares through initial public offerings once they are privatised.
Read: Painful budget cuts to reduce runaway spending
The plan has, however, been delayed over the years as a result of bureaucracy in approval of the transactions by the Executive and the proposed parastatal reforms.
The slow process has been pegged on initial freezing of the programme in 2013 and limiting implementation to only a few transactions in 2014.
Over the past 10 years, the commission has only managed to carry out one transaction, which was the sale of 26 per cent stake in Kenya Wine Agencies Ltd (KWAL) to South Africaβs Distell Group Ltd in 2014.
In 2017, Distell increased its shareholding in KWAL to 52.43 per cent after acquiring an additional 26.4 per cent stake from Centum Investments.
In the 2015-16 audit report on state firms, Auditor General Edward Ouko noted that at least 36 parastatals were insolvent, requiring a capital injection of Sh118.76 billion to prevent collapse.
He pinned the firmsβ poor performance on uncollected debts running into billions of shillings dating back to the 1990s, unapproved increase in expenditure and double payment of debts owed to service providers.
The report showed that while some firms are still financially sound, there are several questionable dealings, coupled with huge losses, which could grow the list of insolvent corporations.
Currently, there are 262 state corporations and agencies but the government plans to reduce them to 187 by merging them to eliminate duplication.