NAIROBI, Kenya, July 9 – National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has appointed six members to the National Infrastructure Fund Board in a move aimed at operationalising the newly established fund tasked with financing key national infrastructure projects.
The appointments were announced through a Special Gazette Notice dated July 8, 2026, with the six set to serve a three-year term effective immediately.
Those appointed under Section 13(1) of the National Infrastructure Fund Act, 2025, are James Mworia Mwirigi, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Centum Investment Company, Fahima Ali Ahmed Zein, Christopher Kibui Maranga, Latoya Ouna, Lawrence Kibet and Mohammed Abdirahman Hassan.
According to the Special Gazette Notice, the appointments were made pursuant to Section 13(1) of the National Infrastructure Fund Act, which empowers the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury to appoint members to the board.
The National Infrastructure Fund was established under the National Infrastructure Fund Act, 2025, to mobilise and manage financing for strategic infrastructure investments across the country.
The board will be responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight of the fund’s operations, including the identification, financing and monitoring of eligible infrastructure projects.
The six members will serve for a three-year term beginning July 8, 2026.
The appointments mark a key step in the operationalisation of the National Infrastructure Fund, which is expected to play a central role in supporting the government’s long-term infrastructure development agenda through sustainable financing mechanisms.
The National Assembly approved the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF) legislation on March 6 after extensive debate and amendments aimed at strengthening oversight and governance.
The fund is expected to mobilise nearly Sh5 trillion over the next decade to finance key projects such as highways, railways, ports, agribusiness infrastructure, and energy systems.
Unlike previous government borrowing models, the NIF will use an investment-led approach with both public and private sector participation. Funding will come from government allocations, private investment, privatisation proceeds, grants and loans.
Speaking during the ceremony, Ruto said the legislation marks a historic turning point in Kenya’s development journey, noting that the Kenya Pipeline IPO will be the first fund to be utilised by the Fund.
The fund will finance strategic projects including highways, railways, ports, agribusiness infrastructure, and energy systems, with capital expected from government allocations, private investment, privatization proceeds, grants, and loans.
In April, President William Ruto appointed a Governing Council to oversee the newly established National Infrastructure Fund, naming Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi as chair of the panel tasked with steering the country toward investment-led infrastructure financing.
In a presidential notification issued Wednesday, the executive office said the council had been constituted following the enactment of the National Infrastructure Fund Act, 2026 legislation designed to mobilize private capital and reduce Kenya’s reliance on debt for major development projects.
Statutory members of the council include Central Bank Governor Kamau Thugge and Attorney-General Dorcas Agik Oduor.
Independent members appointed by the president include Benedict Oramah, former president of the African Export-Import Bank, Kenya Pipeline Company chairperson Faith Boinett, Paul Russo, CEO of KCB Group, and financial services executive Richard Etemesi.
The presidency said the appointments, published in the Kenya Gazette as Notice No. 4796 of 2026, will allow the council to immediately begin operationalizing the fund.
