Concerns have been raised regarding the supervision and administration of the Sh5 trillion National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), as the Cabinet is scheduled to convene on Monday to deliberate on its sanction.
While President William Ruto has characterised the fund as an essential measure for advancing Kenya towards a first-world economy, critics caution that aggregating billions within a single mechanism may pose risks of mismanagement and corruption.
The President states that the fund will represent a transition from substantial dependence on debt and taxation by aggregating proceeds from the privatisation of designated state-owned enterprises and allocating them exclusively to public infrastructure.
During a church service in Gatundu North, Kiambu County, on Sunday, Ruto stated that the Cabinet meeting would officially commence what he characterised as Kenya’s long-overdue transition from a developing to a developed economy.
Tomorrow, we will convene a special Cabinet session to sanction a Sh5 trillion National Infrastructure Fund that will support the advancement of our development initiatives. “We are now formally commencing the process of transforming Kenya into a First World nation,” Ruto stated.
He clarified that the National Infrastructure Fund would serve as the primary mechanism for mobilising the Sh5 trillion necessary to execute both existing and new projects pledged in his 2022 General Election manifesto.
According to the President, the funds will be allocated towards the enhancement and expansion of vital infrastructure, including the dual carriageway construction of 2,500 kilometres of highways, the surfacing of 28,000 kilometres of roads, and the expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Mombasa and Lamu ports, as well as the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to the Uganda border.
He stated that the investment initiative will also prioritise food security and energy production through the development of 50 megadams, 200 mini-dams, and 1,000 micro-dams, facilitating the irrigation of 2.5 million acres of land, along with the generation of an additional 10,000 megawatts of electricity to bolster value addition, agro-processing, and industrialisation.
“We are behind schedule in transforming this nation from a third-world to a first-world status and in eliminating poverty and hunger,” Ruto stated.
The President observed that a portion of the financing will be derived from transforming unprofitable state corporations into commercially sustainable entities, with certain allocations designated for privatisation. Among those identified is the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), which is anticipated to generate approximately Sh100 billion.
Through the National Infrastructure Fund, all proceeds from privatisation will be securely allocated and exclusively invested in public infrastructure, he stated.
In his statement, the President refuted assertions that the ambitious development agenda is motivated by the 2027 General Election, asserting that his primary concern is implementation rather than political considerations.
If the matter pertains to ballots, you elected me in 2022, and that suffices for me to fulfil my commitments. Elections will occur at a later date; it is time to focus on business. When that moment arrives, individuals should be evaluated based on their actions, he stated.
He also called upon leaders to forsake divisive politics and focus on serving the citizens, emphasising that elections are transient, whereas public service is ongoing.
Let us collaborate in the interest of progress. We ought to discourage divisive politics and direct our efforts towards serving the populace. “An election period will eventually arrive,” said Ruto.
The President condemned leaders who contend that Kenya’s transition to a first-world economy is unfeasible, accusing them of lacking a coherent development vision.
“You cannot reasonably expect an individual who has served in government for 50 years and lacks a tarmac road to his own residence to believe that Kenya can transition from a third-world to a first-world economic status,” he stated.
He also dismissed opposition assertions that the government has achieved nothing, questioning whether such critics truly “reside in Kenya”.
Ruto stated that the government is presently constructing 240,000 affordable housing units, 400 modern markets, and 177,000-bed hostels for students attending universities, TVET institutions, and Kenya Medical Training Colleges nationwide. He stated that Sh48 billion is currently being invested in these initiatives within Kiambu County alone, in addition to a further Sh4.1 billion allocated for road enhancements.
For Kiambu, the President also announced that Sh22 billion has been allocated to dual the Muthaiga–Kiambu–Ndumberi road to alleviate congestion and reduce travel times, stating that he would return in February 2026 to officially inaugurate the project.
Political tensions, however, escalated during the church service, pitting Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi against Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a and Gatundu North MP Elijah Kururia.
The impasse was initiated when Ng’ang’a announced her intention to contest for the governorship of Kiambu in the 2027 General Election. Moments later, Kururia referred to her as the incoming governor, eliciting a prompt and irate interruption from Governor Wamatangi.
I am the incumbent governor and the prospective governor. If there was any uncertainty, you now know the identity of the prospective governor,” said Wamatangi, prior to President Ruto intervening to de-escalate the situation.
“We, the people of Kiambu, have mutually agreed that political activities shall be deferred until 2027,” the governor stated.
The tense relationship between Wamatangi and politicians allied with the president has previously been displayed publicly, including in September during the funeral of the father of National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa, where the governor was noticeably marginalised.
Ichung’wa, who presided over the gathering of leaders at the Gatundu North event, commended the President’s development agenda in the Mt Kenya region, asserting that it would significantly improve the livelihoods of residents.
Kenyans will select their leaders based on their development performance. He stated, “No one has the authority to determine how our people should vote.”
Cabinet Secretaries Alice Wahome (Lands) and William Kabogo (ICT) were also present.
Even as the Cabinet prepares to consider the fund, opposition to the NIF has arisen. Senior counsel Paul Muite expressed criticism of the proposal, cautioning that it compromises constitutional protections.
The National Infrastructure Fund unlawfully bypasses constitutional controls and safeguards, conferring the authority to utilise these funds upon a single individual. Anticipate widespread plunder and corruption. Muite stated in a post on X that the encumbrance of debt is being inadvertently imposed on Kenyans.
His remarks came in response to Ruto’s assertion that the fund is intended to facilitate private sector investment and diminish reliance on borrowing.
The Cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday, December 15, 2025, is also anticipated to conclude the ratification of the National Infrastructure Fund in conjunction with the Sovereign Wealth Fund policy.
Ruto Forces Sh5 trillion National Infrastructure Fund, MPs fear
