Meet the 6 appointed to Kenya's National Infrastructure Fund Board

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has appointed six members to the Board of Directors of the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), marking another key milestone in the rollout of one of the Kenya Kwanza administration's flagship financing initiatives.

In a Gazette Notice dated July 8, 2026, Mbadi appointed the board members to serve a three-year term under Section 13(1)(a) and (b) of the National Infrastructure Fund Act, 2026.

The appointments come months after President William Ruto assented to the law establishing the fund, which aims to mobilise up to Sh5 trillion over the next decade to finance major infrastructure projects while reducing Kenya's reliance on external borrowing.

Who has been appointed?

The newly appointed board comprises:

• Centum CEO James Mworia Mwirigi

• Fahima Ali Ahmed Zein

• Christopher Kibui Maranga

• Latoya Ouna

• Lawrence Kibet

• Mohammed Abdirahman Hassan

According to the Gazette Notice, four of the appointees were selected under Section 13(1)(a), which provides for independent directors, while Lawrence Kibet and Mohammed Abdirahman Hassan were appointed under Section 13(1)(b), which caters for public officers appointed based on their expertise or office.

The National Infrastructure Fund Act states that the Board shall consist of "four persons, who shall be independent directors" and "persons, being public officers, who shall be appointed based on their expertise or position."

Among the appointees, James Mworia Mwirigi brings extensive experience in law and finance, while Fahima Ali Ahmed Zein and Christopher Kibui Maranga have backgrounds in investment banking.

The appointments follow a competitive recruitment process conducted by the National Treasury.

Earlier this year, the ministry shortlisted 16 candidates from a pool of 78 applicants for interviews held on June 29 and 30, 2026, before settling on the final six members.

The board is expected to oversee the operationalisation and governance of the newly established investment vehicle.

The National Infrastructure Fund is a corporate investment vehicle established by the Government of Kenya to finance, build and operate large-scale, commercially viable infrastructure projects.

Unlike conventional government funding models that rely heavily on debt or taxation, the fund is designed as a blended finance platform that leverages government seed capital to attract private investors, domestic pension funds and institutional capital.

The objective is to shift commercially viable infrastructure projects away from the national budget while easing pressure on public debt.

The fund will primarily support investments in highways, railway networks, airports, seaports, electricity generation and transmission, as well as irrigation and agribusiness infrastructure.

President William Ruto signed the National Infrastructure Fund Act into law on March 9, 2026, paving the way for the government to mobilise up to Sh5 trillion over the next 10 years through privatisation, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and other alternative financing mechanisms.

Treasury CS Mbadi has previously said the fund is intended to reduce Kenya's overreliance on borrowing to finance development projects.

Among the flagship projects expected to benefit from the fund are the expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Malaba, construction of about 2,500 kilometres of dual carriage highways and development of 10,000 megawatts of clean energy capacity.