National Infrastructure Fund Appoints James Mworia as Founding CEO
Dr James Mworia, MBS, has been appointed the founding Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), effective September 7, 2026.
The NIF Board said Mworia was selected following a competitive recruitment process. He will lead the establishment and operationalisation of the Fund under the National Infrastructure Fund Act, 2026.
Section 4 of the Act mandates NIF to scale up and accelerate national infrastructure development, mobilise private capital and non-traditional sources of infrastructure finance, reduce reliance on public debt for commercially viable infrastructure and strengthen Kenya’s capacity to originate, structure and execute large and complex projects.
The Fund will focus on infrastructure in transport and logistics, energy, information and communications technology (ICT), water and agriculture.
National Infrastructure Fund Mandate
NIF is intended to address infrastructure constraints affecting enterprises, productivity, Kenya’s competitiveness and economic transformation.
The Fund will translate identified infrastructure needs into financeable projects, investable assets and operating enterprises. It will mobilise domestic and international capital alongside its own investments and establish professionally governed enterprises capable of attracting long-term investors.
NIF will support projects throughout their development lifecycle, from converting national priorities into bankable projects to scaling ventures into investable infrastructure assets.
The Fund will ultimately transition mature assets to long-term ownership or the capital markets. Asset realisations will be used to recycle capital into future infrastructure projects while supporting the development of Kenya’s capital markets.
Mworia to Establish NIF Operations
As founding CEO, Mworia will have a dual mandate of establishing NIF as a national investment institution and developing infrastructure enterprises required to implement its mandate.
His initial priorities will include establishing the organisation, workforce, systems and institutional culture, as well as operationalising governance, investment and risk-management frameworks.
He will also be responsible for developing an investable project pipeline, mobilising co-investment capital and progressing priority projects through appraisal, structuring and execution.
The Fund said it will operate with commercial discipline, professionalism, integrity, transparency and accountability while developing partnerships with the Government, investors, financiers, developers, regulators and communities.
James Mworia’s Investment Management Experience
Mworia brings more than 25 years of professional experience in investment management, enterprise development and capital allocation. He has operated at principal-investment level since 2005.
He is currently Group CEO and Managing Director of Centum Investment Company Plc, a publicly listed investment company in East Africa, where he has served for 17 years.
During his tenure at Centum, Mworia built the company into an investment, development and capital-allocation institution. The company grew shareholders’ funds to approximately 11 times their opening value without raising additional shareholder equity at the holding-company level.
His experience spans multiple industries across East Africa and includes the establishment, acquisition and transformation of enterprises and investment platforms.
His investment experience covers origination, evaluation, structuring and execution, management team development, governance and operating systems, financing mobilisation, portfolio management, value creation and preparing enterprises for long-term ownership or exit.
Capital Mobilisation and Infrastructure Investment
Mworia has mobilised financing from commercial banks, development finance institutions, debt capital markets, institutional investors and strategic partners.
He previously served on the boards of the Nairobi Securities Exchange and the Central Depository and Settlement Corporation.
The experience is expected to support NIF’s efforts to attract domestic and international capital and facilitate long-term investment in Kenya’s infrastructure sector.
NIF’s investment model will require the Fund to mobilise capital alongside its own investments, develop infrastructure assets and eventually transition mature enterprises to long-term investors or capital markets.
Mworia’s Professional Qualifications
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.
He is a member of the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and the CFA Institute.
The appointment takes effect as NIF begins implementing the framework established under the National Infrastructure Fund Act, 2026.
