Mathanzua
JF-Expert Member
- Jan 4, 2017
- 17,436
- 23,104
Privatisation Gone Mad or State Capture!
Kenya's privatisation is nothing short of a masterclass in state capture, a system so drenched in corruption that it's impossible to discern where public interest ends and private greed begins.
Let's take William Ruto, for instance – as Deputy President, he saw fit to procure 50% of Kenya Airways’ current fleet from Boeing in Seattle.
Not from government coffers, but from his own money. And what did he do with this aircraft fleet?
He leased it back to Kenya Airways, milking the very public institution he was meant to serve. This sleight of hand didn’t happen in isolation.
It took place under the approving nod of then President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose own history of thievery stretches back to his father, Jomo Kenyatta, the Godfather of Kenya's corruption dynasty.
Whenever I pass through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, I’m reminded of the chaos that prevails thanks to the government’s ongoing looting spree. Aircraft crews, apart from the pilots and co-pilots, are frequently on strike, leading to the cancellation of nearly 40% of flights on some days.
This isn’t incompetence, it’s sabotage by design. Politicians are riding the backs of every "privatised" public entity, bleeding them dry through front companies while the people bear the brunt of it.
And let’s not forget when Ruto himself was audited. The man had ownership stakes in 77 companies, including a major shareholding in Kenya Airways (by the way the KQ aircrafts are leased from Ruto's company).
He’s a perfect example of how privatisation in Kenya has become a racket, a way for the political elite to entrench their wealth while leaving the public sector in tatters.
Since the 1990s, privatisation has been the bane of the average Kenyan. Public assets have been sold off or leased to politically connected businessmen, all while services deteriorate.
Now, we are smelling a rat once again as the notorious Adani Group circles like vultures, ready to snatch control of Kenya's airport services under the guise of "private leasing."This is the calm before the storm.
Make no mistake about it, the fire is coming, and this time it won’t be extinguished by hollow promises or empty rhetoric.
Kenya has been sold out, piece by piece, and unless something changes, the last embers of public service will soon be extinguished.Whether Tanzania is following the footsteps of its' sister country Kenya,remains to be seen.
Kenya's privatisation is nothing short of a masterclass in state capture, a system so drenched in corruption that it's impossible to discern where public interest ends and private greed begins.
Let's take William Ruto, for instance – as Deputy President, he saw fit to procure 50% of Kenya Airways’ current fleet from Boeing in Seattle.
Not from government coffers, but from his own money. And what did he do with this aircraft fleet?
He leased it back to Kenya Airways, milking the very public institution he was meant to serve. This sleight of hand didn’t happen in isolation.
It took place under the approving nod of then President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose own history of thievery stretches back to his father, Jomo Kenyatta, the Godfather of Kenya's corruption dynasty.
Whenever I pass through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, I’m reminded of the chaos that prevails thanks to the government’s ongoing looting spree. Aircraft crews, apart from the pilots and co-pilots, are frequently on strike, leading to the cancellation of nearly 40% of flights on some days.
This isn’t incompetence, it’s sabotage by design. Politicians are riding the backs of every "privatised" public entity, bleeding them dry through front companies while the people bear the brunt of it.
And let’s not forget when Ruto himself was audited. The man had ownership stakes in 77 companies, including a major shareholding in Kenya Airways (by the way the KQ aircrafts are leased from Ruto's company).
He’s a perfect example of how privatisation in Kenya has become a racket, a way for the political elite to entrench their wealth while leaving the public sector in tatters.
Since the 1990s, privatisation has been the bane of the average Kenyan. Public assets have been sold off or leased to politically connected businessmen, all while services deteriorate.
Now, we are smelling a rat once again as the notorious Adani Group circles like vultures, ready to snatch control of Kenya's airport services under the guise of "private leasing."This is the calm before the storm.
Make no mistake about it, the fire is coming, and this time it won’t be extinguished by hollow promises or empty rhetoric.
Kenya has been sold out, piece by piece, and unless something changes, the last embers of public service will soon be extinguished.Whether Tanzania is following the footsteps of its' sister country Kenya,remains to be seen.