Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has mounted a sharp challenge to President William Ruto’s plan to set up a National Infrastructure Fund, saying the government is asking Kenyans for trust without first giving answers.
Speaking in Nairobi on Monday, Nyoro said the administration had failed to explain how close to Ksh4 trillion borrowed since 2022 had been used. Until that is done, he argued, introducing another large fund makes little sense.
“We have borrowed close to four trillion shillings already,” Nyoro said. “Before setting up another trillion-shilling fund, those in government should face Kenyans and tell them what they have done with that money.”
Nyoro, a former chair of the National Assembly’s Budget Committee and once a close ally of Mr Ruto, framed his criticism around everyday concerns. He said talk of big projects rang hollow while basic services struggled.
“How do you sell grand plans when capitation is being reduced?” he asked, pointing to funding pressures in schools and hospitals. “Kenyans are being distracted from the essentials.”
His remarks come against a backdrop of rising public debt. According to figures presented by the Central Bank of Kenya to a parliamentary committee, the country’s debt stood at about Ksh12 trillion in June 2025, up from Ksh8.5 trillion three years earlier.
Nyoro said such borrowing should have left a visible mark across the country. “Every constituency would have seen real projects completed,” he said. “We would be talking about roads finished, not promises repeated.”
He went further, claiming some loans had been taken outside the usual public framework. He cited projects he said were financed through arrangements not clearly disclosed to Parliament or the public. “These are loans Kenyans do not fully see or understand,” he said.
The government rejects claims of secrecy or misuse. On Monday, the Cabinet approved plans to establish both the National Infrastructure Fund and a Sovereign Wealth Fund, describing them as long-term tools to support development and savings for future generations.
Officials say the infrastructure fund will be managed by an independent board and chief executive selected through open competition. The Sovereign Wealth Fund, they add, will operate under clear rules meant to guide investment decisions and protect public money.
Despite mounting criticism from parts of Parliament, the administration insists it will push ahead. Supporters of the plan argue that Kenya needs new ways to finance roads, energy projects and housing without placing more strain on annual budgets.
For now, Nyoro remains unconvinced. He says the debate is not about rejecting development, but about trust. “You cannot keep borrowing,” he said, “and expect silence when people ask where the money went.”
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