The High Court has issued a conservatory order stopping the government from privatizing the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC).
Justice Bahati Mwamuye issued the order on Friday, August 15, following a petition filed by the Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK).
The privatization plan for KPC will remain suspended until COFEK’s petition is heard and determined.
“A conservatory order be and is hereby issued restraining the respondents and the Interested Parties, jointly and severally, and whether by themselves or through their agents, servants, or any person acting under their authority, from offering for sale, allocating, disposing, transferring, or otherwise dealing with any shares of the Kenya Pipeline Company Limited pursuant to the impugned privatization plan that is the subject of the Petition herein,” Justice Mwamuye stated.
The High Court Judge also directed the petitioner to serve the respondents and interested Parties with the application immediately and file an affidavit.
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The respondents have until August 22, 2025, to file their responses, with the petitioner allowed to file a rejoinder by August 29, 2025.
The petition will be heard on September 5, 2025, in an open court at 10:00 AM.
The court order comes weeks after the Cabinet approved the privatization of KPC in a meeting held on July 29.
"The Cabinet gave the green light for the reinstatement of Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) into the privatization programme, paving the way for partial divestiture of government shares in a move aimed at democratizing ownership by Kenyans at the Nairobi Securities Exchange and unlocking the company’s full commercial potential," a report from the Cabinet read.
The Cabinet noted that the move to privatize KPC is part of a policy shift by the government to reduce direct involvement in commercial enterprises and instead let private players take the lead.
On July 2, President William Ruto announced that KPC will be listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) by the end of 2025.
“We plan to list the Kenya Pipeline Company through an IPO in 2025, offering investors a unique opportunity to deploy capital in one of Kenya’s most strategic infrastructure enterprises," he said.
Kenya Pipeline is among the state corporations that posted a profit last year, declaring a Ksh10 billion pretax profit in March 2025.
