Letters

The debate on the ownership of mobile phone company Safaricom is missing the point.

The public is being misled to believe that some shareholding due to the Government was sold to a private company, Mobitelea Ventures. Why should the identity of the owners be of importance? Supposing the Government disclosed their identity, then what?

Demanding to merely know the owners of the company is riddled with malice and is only aimed at gaining cheap political mileage. What Kenyans and potential investors should be told is whether the Government, and therefore the public, lost any money in past transactions between Safaricom and Mobitelea.

Also important is whether licensing requirements were contravened in the shareholding and if future transactions will affect the Government’s interest in the company. Finance minister Mr Amos Kimunya and Safaricom Chief Executive Mr Michael Joseph have been categorical that Telkom Kenya owns 60 per cent and Vodafone 40 per cent shares.

Mobitelea Ventures has shareholding in Vodafone, a private company registered under the Companies Act. Vodafone Kenya Limited can sell more shares to Mobitelea or any other person or group for all Kenyans care.

Concerned investor, Nairobi