Joe Mucheru, the Secretary of Cabinet for Information and Communication Technologies, drew the wrath of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Investment. Asked why five years later the Ministry of ICTs failed to implement the parliament resolution calling on the government to reconsider the privatization, recapitalization and restructuring of Telkom Kenya, “hostile” responses by Joe Mucheru have aroused the anger of the deputies.

The parliamentarian’s ire, the ICT cabinet secretary, excited him more when he refused to explain clearly who is Telkom Kenya’s majority shareholder, Jamhuri Holdings, which represents Helios Investment Partners. Instead, Joe Mucheru told MPs that “a corporation ceases to be a Crown corporation when it has less participation. The Secretary of Investment or the Treasury is competent to provide you with the information you need. I am not able to give you information about the board of directors of a private company.

“I do not know the owners of Jamhuri Holdings. This can only be given to you by the Treasury, responsible for the government’s participation in Telkom. I have no answer as to whether the correct procedures were followed during the privatization of Telkom Kenya, “he continued.

Exceeded, Ole Kenta, the chair of the parliamentary committee, urged Joe Mucheru to provide all the information he was asked for in the next 14 days. “The committee will wait for written comments from you within 14 days. Otherwise, you will be the first private secretary to face sanctions, “ threatened Ole Kenta.

Source: Agence Ecofin