Dr James Mworia has been appointed the founding Chief Executive Officer of the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), with the appointment taking effect on September 7, 2026.
The NIF Board said Mworia was selected following a competitive recruitment process to lead the newly established fund and oversee the implementation of its mandate.
The appointment comes as the government moves to establish the NIF as a key vehicle for mobilising capital and financing major infrastructure projects across the country.
According to the NIF, the fund is mandated under Section 4 of the National Infrastructure Fund Act, 2026, to scale up and accelerate national infrastructure development.
The fund will focus on mobilising private capital and non-traditional sources of infrastructure financing while reducing reliance on public debt to finance commercially viable infrastructure projects.
“The founding Chief Executive Officer will lead the dual mission of establishing NIF as a credible national investment institution and building the infrastructure enterprises required to deliver its mandate,” the NIF Board said.
The National Infrastructure Fund will focus on critical infrastructure needs in transport and logistics, energy, ICT, water and agriculture.
The fund aims to convert identified infrastructure needs into financeable projects and mobilise both domestic and international capital to support their development.
It will also seek to establish professionally governed enterprises capable of attracting long-term investment.
The NIF is expected to support projects across their entire development cycle, from turning national priorities into bankable projects to scaling ventures into investable infrastructure assets.
Successful projects will eventually transition to long-term ownership or capital markets, allowing the fund to recycle capital into future infrastructure investments.
Mworia joins the NIF with more than 25 years of professional experience in investment management, enterprise development and capital allocation.
The NIF said he has operated at principal-investment level since 2005 and currently serves as Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Centum Investment Company Plc, a publicly listed investment company.
He has held the position for 17 years and is credited with building Centum into an investment, development and capital-allocation institution.
During his tenure, the company’s shareholders’ funds reportedly grew to approximately 11 times their opening value without additional shareholder equity being raised at the holding-company level.
The NIF Board said his experience in establishing, acquiring and transforming enterprises and investment platforms would be critical to the fund’s mandate.
Mworia’s initial responsibilities will include establishing the NIF’s organisation, people systems and institutional culture.
He will also oversee the establishment of governance, investment and risk-management frameworks and develop a credible pipeline of investable projects.
The fund will mobilise co-investment capital and advance priority projects through rigorous appraisal, structuring and execution.
The NIF said it would pursue its mandate with a focus on commercial discipline, professionalism, integrity, transparency and accountability while working with the government, investors, financiers, developers, regulators and communities.
Mworia previously served on the boards of the Nairobi Securities Exchange and the Central Depository and Settlement Corporation.
He has also mobilised financing from commercial banks, development finance institutions, debt capital markets, institutional investors and strategic partners.
The NIF said his experience in engaging domestic and international capital providers would support its efforts to attract long-term investment into Kenya and bring mature infrastructure enterprises to market.
Mworia holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi and is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya. He is also a Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Global Management Accountant and CFA charterholder.
The NIF Board said his track record in building institutions, mobilising capital and bringing investments to market would help the fund deliver critical infrastructure, deepen Kenya’s capital markets, raise productivity and strengthen the country’s competitiveness.
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