This week saw President William Ruto sign into law the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF) Bill, 2026.
The Bill, which effectively creates a KSh5 trillion kitty described as a catalyst for development, is expected to revolutionise how Kenya finances and manages its most ambitious infrastructure development projects going forward.
The new law is expected to mobilise KSh5 trillion over the next decade, with Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi over the moon because “Kenya will now shift from a debt-heavy development approach to an investment-led model”.
The fund — which aims to reduce over-reliance on foreign loans — will be banking on pension funds, institutional investors and proceeds from privatisation of state assets to get the money to invest in development projects.
The fund, President Ruto said, will initially be capitalised using proceeds from the Kenya Pipeline Company initial public offering which raised KSh106 billion.
Donald Kipkorir’s ‘law-hanging fruit’
But even as the country strives to raise capital to fund its infrastructure projects, renowned city lawyer, Donald Kipkorir, believes there is a low-hanging fruit yet to be tapped into, that can raise considerable amount of money.
“Kenya has over 300,000 residents of English descent,” Lawyer Kipkorir starts. “Many of whom thei ancestors arrived in Kenya when Kalenjin & Luo were still living in Juba. When Maasai were still in Eldoret.”
When Kenya attained independence in 1963, the constitution at the time allowed for sole citizenship, and these residents of English descent opted to remain British.
However, the 2010 Constitution paved way for dual citizenship.
“After 2010 Constitution that allowed dual citizenship, many of them applied for Kenya citizenship but their applications have been languishing in bureaucratic black holes!”
It is for this reason that the lawyer advises President Ruto to act. “President William Ruto can issue an Executive Order enabling all these 300,000 plus British Citizens to be Kenyan citizens within 6 months of application on condition they pay all inclusive Kshs. 2,000,000/= (paltry uk£12,000).”
He adds: “Some of them have spent more than that paying brokers without getting the citizenship. The Executive Order will give the Government Kshs. 600B. And the British citizens will be fully Kenyans & can participate in our politics & security. Everyone wins. The Government. And the English residents.”
