The High Court in Nairobi has stopped the planned privatisation of the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), issuing orders that put the brakes on a move recently approved by the Cabinet.
On Friday morning, Justice Bahati Mwamuye granted a conservatory order blocking President William Ruto’s administration from proceeding with the sale until a petition before the court is heard and determined.
The directive restrains the National Treasury from selling, allocating, disposing of, transferring, or in any way dealing with KPC shares.
In his ruling, the judge stated, "Pending the inter partes hearing and determination of the applicant's notice of notion dated 14/08/2025, a conservatory order be and is hereby issued restraining the Respondents from offering for sale any shares of the Kenya Pipeline Company."
The court has instructed the petitioners to serve the application to all respondents and interested parties before the matter proceeds.
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Justice Mwamuye ordered that responses to the application and the petition be filed by August 22, 2025.
"The respondents and the interested parties shall enter appearance and file and serve their respective responses to both the application and the petition; and they shall do so by close of business 22/08/2025," he further noted.
"The petitioner shall have leave to file and serve a rejoinder, if need be, and it shall do so by close of business 29/08/2025."
The legal challenge comes just two weeks after the Cabinet, in a dispatch dated July 26, announced it had approved the sale of KPC.
At the time, the government stated that the move was intended to enable the private sector to drive growth and innovation within the company.
The court’s decision means the fate of KPC’s ownership will now be determined in the courtroom rather than through the Cabinet’s privatisation agenda.
