Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro at Gakurwe comprehensive school on March 10, 2026/ ALICE WAITHERA

MP Ndindi Nyoro has
criticised the national government’s decision to launch the National Infrastructure Fund, warning that the
initiative will open the door for additional borrowing outside the official
national budget.

Speaking in Gakurwe, Kiharu
Constituency, Nyoro said the fund will allow the government to engage in what
he described as “off-the-books” borrowing at a time when many Kenyans are
already grappling with declining incomes and a high cost of living.

The legislator argued that
Kenya’s borrowing levels have risen sharply in recent years, placing increasing
pressure on the economy and future generations.

According to him, the government is currently borrowing
about Sh1.5 trillion annually, an amount he said translates to roughly Sh4
billion every day.

Nyoro questioned the rationale
behind introducing a new financing structure when development projects can
still be funded through the existing national budget and conventional financing
mechanisms.

“The fund that was launched
yesterday is simply another way of borrowing money off the books,” he said.

The Sh5 trillion National Infrastructure
Fund was launched by the government as a vehicle to mobilize financing for
major infrastructure projects including roads, airports and other large-scale
developments.

The fund is intended to attract private capital and
international investment, with the aim of expanding infrastructure financing
beyond traditional budget allocations.

The government has also compared
the model to sovereign investment funds used in countries such as the United
Arab Emirates, Australia and Singapore.

These funds, often backed by strong national reserves, are
used to invest in strategic assets and generate long-term returns for future
generations.

However, Nyoro argued that the
comparison may not be appropriate in Kenya’s case. According to him, such funds
are typically created by countries with surplus wealth that they invest
globally, rather than as mechanisms for raising additional debt.

He said Kenya risks creating a
structure that ultimately increases borrowing while placing additional
financial obligations on taxpayers.

“That is a contradiction.
Those countries created such funds after their economies had grown, to invest
for the future. But the fund that was launched yesterday is meant to borrow
more money outside the budget,” he said.

Nyoro warned that continued
heavy borrowing could undermine Kenya’s long-term economic stability and saddle
future generations with a significant debt burden if not managed carefully.

“It is not right for us to
continue burdening Kenyans today and also burden future generations,” he said,
adding that the country should exercise caution in expanding its debt levels.

The MP also compared the current
borrowing trends with those witnessed during the presidency of the late Mwai Kibaki, arguing that the pace of debt
accumulation has increased significantly in recent years.

According to Nyoro, the former
president borrowed approximately Sh1.2 trillion over his entire ten-year tenure
in office.

Nyoro made the remarks during
the launch of Mwai Kibaki Secondary School, a new institution constructed
through the Kiharu National Government Constituencies Development Fund
(NG-CDF).

Nyoro said the institution was
named after the late president in recognition of his role in transforming
Kenya’s economy and expanding access to education.

He credited Kibaki’s
administration with laying the groundwork for several major development
initiatives, including the introduction of free primary education, expansion of
the national road network and increased electrification across rural areas.

Nyoro said such policies
helped improve livelihoods and strengthened the country’s economic foundation.