Kenya set to launch National Infrastructure Fund

President William Ruto announced Tuesday that Kenya will launch a National Infrastructure Fund later this week, a move designed to pull in billions of dollars in private investment to bankroll major development projects.

Speaking at the opening of an expanded black rhino sanctuary in Tsavo West National Park, Ruto said the fund will use public seed money to attract up to six times that amount from private partners.

“We have had many plans for years, but we lacked a funding strategy,” Ruto said. “Now we have a new framework to turn those plans into reality.”

The fund’s flagship projects include building 50 large dams and 1,000 smaller ones to provide water for households, farms, livestock and wildlife, a priority as Kenya faces worsening drought linked to climate change.

Rhino sanctuary expands to world’s largest

Ruto made the announcement while inaugurating the new 3,200-square-kilometer (1,235-square-mile) Tsavo West Rhino Sanctuary — now the largest dedicated black rhino habitat on earth.

The previous Ngulia sanctuary covered just 92 square kilometers (35 square miles) and had become overcrowded with nearly 150 rhinos. Officials say the extra space, improved security and better genetics will lift the annual population growth rate from 5% to 8%.

Kenya aims to grow its national black rhino herd from around 1,000 today to 1,450 by 2030 and 2,000 by 2037. The government has poured $4.7 million into high-tech surveillance and completed more than 250 kilometers (155 miles) of upgraded electric fencing.

Jobs and revenue for local communities

Ruto stressed that conservation must benefit nearby residents. The sanctuary project is already creating employment in security, monitoring, construction and tourism logistics. Officials project more than 18,000 jobs and $45 million in annual revenue from tourism and conservancies by 2030.

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano called the sanctuary expansion “a global milestone,” noting it coincides with national Jamhuri Day celebrations focused on tourism and wildlife.

Taita-Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime welcomed public-private partnerships, saying new water infrastructure will reduce human-wildlife conflict by keeping animals inside the park during dry seasons.

Wildlife service on path to financial independence

Kenya Wildlife Service Director-General Erustus Kanga said reforms under Ruto — including hiring 1,500 new rangers and raising park fees — have put the agency on solid financial footing.

“With current tourism trends, KWS will soon no longer need money from the national treasury,” Kanga said.

The event was attended by National Security Adviser Monica Juma, former U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman and several lawmakers.

The infrastructure fund is part of a broader push by Ruto’s administration to shift Kenya away from heavy public borrowing and toward private-sector-led growth, even as the country continues to grapple with a daunting debt load and youth unemployment.