President William Ruto has announced plans to establish a National Infrastructure Fund to mobilize resources for large-scale infrastructure projects aimed at propelling Kenya into the ranks of developed nations.
Speaking on Monday during the commissioning of the completed Phase One Horizontal Infrastructure of the Konza Technopolis in Makueni County, President Ruto said the fund will pool resources from the national budget, the private sector, and proceeds from privatization.
“Putting together resources from our budget, building resources from the private sector, and resources from privatization, we will create a big pool of funds that we can use innovatively, just as other countries have done,” he said.
The Head of State noted that the fund will support key projects in energy, water, and transport infrastructure — sectors he said are critical to powering Kenya’s industrialization.
He revealed that Kenya will require more than Sh1 trillion to expand power generation capacity by 10,000 megawatts within the next seven years, up from the current 2,300MW.
A further Sh1.5 trillion will be needed to build 50 mega dams to enhance food security and irrigate over two million acres.
“We have stabilised our food security, but that is not enough. We must stop importing food, which costs us Sh500 billion annually,” Ruto said.
The President added that another KSh1.5 trillion will go towards constructing 1,000km of dual carriageways, 10,000km of tarmac roads, extending the Standard Gauge Railway to neighbouring countries, and modernizing Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
He urged Kenyans to embrace bold decisions that can accelerate growth, citing South Korea’s transformation since independence.
“Kenya and South Korea had the same GDP in 1963, but today, South Korea’s GDP is 20 times bigger than Kenya’s,” he said.
Among those present were ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo, Lands CS Alice Wahome, Governors Mutula Kilonzo Jnr (Makueni), Joseph ole Lenku (Kajiado), and Wisley Rotich (Elgeyo Marakwet), as well as South Korea’s Ambassador Kang Hyung-shik and Italian Deputy Ambassador Lorenza Maria Gambacorta.
President Ruto thanked international partners, including the United States, Italy, China, and South Korea, for supporting the Konza Technopolis project, describing it as an investors’ paradise powered by advanced technology and sustainability features.
He said the government will continue upgrading infrastructure around Konza by dualing the Machakos Junction–Emali road, integrating the smart city with the SGR, and establishing a vaccine production facility.
“We will continue to mobilize resources, attract investors, and strengthen partnerships to make Konza Africa’s smartest city and the beating heart of the Silicon Savannah,” he said.