Treasury and senior government officials say the transaction followed due process and was guided by market realities, not political interests. Speaking during a parliamentary briefing, officials maintained that the Safaricom stake sale was conducted transparently and in line with Kenya’s privatisation framework. Criticism has centred on claims that Safaricom, East Africa’s most profitable company, may have been sold below its true value. Officials noted that Safaricom is a publicly listed company whose share price is determined daily by the market, making accusations of underpricing difficult to justify. Supporters of the sale argue that government ownership in commercial entities often ties up capital that could be better deployed elsewhere.