The Board of Directors of the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF) has appointed veteran corporate executive Dr. James Mworia, MBS, as the institution’s founding Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
The announcement comes following a competitive recruitment process as the government moves to operationalize the state-backed fund. Establish in March 2026, the NIF is tasked with mobilizing up to KSh 5 trillion in private, institutional, and international capital to finance major public infrastructure projects while reducing Kenya’s reliance on public debt and taxation.
Dr. Mworia steps into the role after serving 17 years as the Group CEO and Managing Director of Centum Investment Company PLC. During his tenure at Centum, he oversaw significant asset growth across real estate, banking, energy, and private equity.
He brings over 25 years of experience in investment management, enterprise development, and capital allocation. An Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, Dr. Mworia is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), and CFA charterholder.
“The Board is confident that Dr. Mworia’s record of building institutions and enterprises, mobilising capital and bringing investments to market will enable NIF to deliver critical infrastructure, deepen Kenya’s capital markets, raise productivity and strengthen Kenya’s competitiveness.”
As founding CEO, Dr. Mworia will transition from his previous oversight role as an NIF board member—a position to which he was appointed in July 2026 by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi—to executive leadership.
Following Dr. Mworia’s appointment to the state agency, Centum Investment Company PLC announced that Thomas Omondi-Achola has been named as acting Group CEO to steer the firm into its next phase.
