By Ongaga Ongaga
President William Ruto has named the Governing Council of the newly established National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), bringing together seasoned leaders from Kenya and across Africa to oversee its operationalisation.
The appointments were published in the Kenya Gazette on April 1, 2026, under Notice No. 4796.
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Among those appointed is Prof. Benedict Oramah, GCON, the immediate former President and Chairperson of the Board of Afreximbank.
He is currently Chairperson of the Fund for Export Development for Africa (FEDA) and the African Medical Centre of Excellence.
The notice highlights his recognition with numerous honours, including the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) from Nigeria, as well as national awards from Barbados, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau and the Russian Federation.
Mrs. Faith Boinett, Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, was also named.
She currently serves as Chairperson of Kenya Pipeline Company Limited and has held governance roles in various State corporations, including the Privatization Commission.
Mr. Paul Russo, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Group PLC and Chairperson of the Kenya Bankers Association Governing Council, joins the team alongside Mr. Richard Etemesi, Chairperson of Liberty Holdings Limited, who has held senior leadership roles at Standard Chartered Bank across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The Gazette notice, signed by Felix K. Koskei, Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service, states: “ The Governing Council’s immediate priority will be to oversee the recruitment of the Fund’s Board of Directors, which shall in turn recruit the Chief Executive Officer to drive the operationalisation of the Fund.”
The National Infrastructure Fund Act (NIF) was signed into law by President Ruto on March 9, 2026, alongside the Judges’ Retirement Benefits Bill.
The Fund is expected to mobilise billions in public and private capital for strategic projects, aligning with Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
