NAIROBI, Kenya, July 11 – The government has raised Sh350 billion for the proposed National Infrastructure Fund (NIF) within the last three months, marking the first major milestone in what President William Ruto says is a long-term strategy to finance Kenya’s infrastructure ambitions without relying solely on public debt.

📻 Breaking It Down

Speaking in Igembe North, Meru County, President Ruto said the fund would provide the capital needed to accelerate investments in roads, energy, water and transport infrastructure that are critical to the country’s economic transformation.

The President said the government aims to grow the fund into a Sh5 trillion investment vehicle capable of financing strategic projects over the coming years.

Among the flagship projects earmarked for financing are the production of 10,000 megawatts of clean energy, construction of 50 mega dams, 200 micro-dams and more than 1,000 small dams, development of 2,500 kilometres of dual carriageways, and construction of 28,000 kilometres of roads.

📌 What You Need to Know

The fund will also finance the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Malaba and Kisumu, as well as the expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, projects the government says are expected to improve regional trade and logistics.

The President said Kenya also requires a significant increase in electricity generation to support its industrialisation and digital economy ambitions.

He added that expanding the country’s road network would be equally critical to unlocking economic growth.

President Ruto defended the government’s strategy of mobilising domestic capital for infrastructure investment, saying similar approaches have been successfully adopted elsewhere.

“This is what other countries have done and this is what we must do,”he said.

Although the government has not released a detailed breakdown of the Sh350 billion, official statements and policy documents indicate that the initial capital has largely been mobilized through the transfer of strategic government-owned assets into the National Infrastructure Fund rather than through cash budget allocations.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya