- Story by Ann Alividza
- Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has once again supported the approval of the National Infrastructure Fund Bill (2026) as a key shift in the country’s focus on significant infrastructural developments.
Speaking during the Bill’s assent ceremony at State House Nairobi on Monday 9th March, Mbadi said that the bill results from the constant efforts and borrowing from the successful practices of other nations that have recorded great impacts in managing their economy in matters infrastructure and development.
“Some of the proposals in the National Infrastructure Bill 2025 are informed by lessons learned and best practices from other countries that have experienced significant infrastructural developments by transitioning from traditional debt-heavy public spending to blended investment-led financing models.”
Some of the models that Kenya borrowed from include; India, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Nigeria and Canada among others.
He added that signing the Act into law is the fulfillment of the Kenya Kwanza Manifesto and that Kenya is on the right trajectory in honoring its promises.
He further said that the country has no space in debts and increased taxation, which called for the innovative ways of financing commercially viable infrastructure projects.
“Kenya’s fiscal position places real constraints on policy choices. Public debt stands at approximately 67% to date of GDP while debt service obligations consume more than half of ordinary revenue. As a matter of fact, our projection for 2026-2027 is that 48.7% of our ordinary revenue will go into debt service course, almost 50%.”
The Cabinet Secretary further intimated that the country’s journey to Singapore is not an illusion and that it calls for Kenyans to have a positive mindset of propelling the country to a first world level.
“The journey to Singapore is not some illusion and thinking that the whole of Kenya will move to Singapore – that country is too small for the 55 million Kenyans to go there. We are going there in terms of taking deliberate decisions to make sure that we move to the first world. What you need is brave and courageous leadership.”
The bill which was introduced to the National Assembly by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa was voted by legislators on Thursday, March 5th 2026.
The Bill aims at mobilising close to 5 trillion shillings over the next 10 years with an aim of transitioning infrastructure finance from a debt focused model to one that considers investment.
