The flotation of Safaricom, a mobile telephone operator set to be the biggest listed company in east Africa, has been dragged into the increasingly bad-tempered talks over the formation of Kenya’s coalition cabinet.

Both the government and the opposition covet the finance minister’s portfolio, which covers the Safaricom deal, and, as talks remained stalled, Raila Odinga, the opposition leader and prime minister designate, on Wednesday called for a delay to what he said was the “unlawful sale”.