The High Court in Kenya's capital Nairobi has suspended the government's plan to put on sale 11 state corporations.
Opposition party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), had filed a petition seeking to block the government from privatising the 11 parastatals, arguing they are of great importance to the Kenyan people, hence a referendum is needed before they are sold.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary (CS) Njuguna Ndung'u had announced plans to sell the state-owned corporations, including the iconic Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) and the profitable Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), to raise revenue.
Judge Chacha Mwita said on Monday that ODM, which is headed by veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, had raised substantial constitutional and legal issues in its petition.
Public participation
Ndung'u had asked Kenyans to submit their opinions on the proposed sale of state corporations by December 11.
The other parastatals listed for sale include school books publisher the Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB), oil seller the National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK) and the Kenya Seed Company.
Others are Mwea Rice Mills, Western Kenya Rice Mills, the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (NKCC), Numerical Machining Complex, Vehicle Manufacturers Limited and textile firm Rivatex East Africa Limited.
➤Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories
