MPs sit late as crucial Infrastructure Fund Bill heads for vote

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Lights stayed on late inside a committee room at Parliament on Monday night as Members of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning pored over the National Infrastructure Fund Bill, 2026--a proposal that could quietly reshape how Kenya builds its roads, housing and energy projects.

The extended sitting came just hours before the Bill is due for its Second Reading, raising the stakes for lawmakers tasked with balancing ambition against fiscal reality.

At the heart of the debate is a simple but pressing question: How should Kenya fund its big projects without piling on more debt?

A shift from loans to leverage

The proposed National Infrastructure Fund seeks to attract private and alternative financing into government-backed projects.

Instead of relying primarily on external borrowing, the Fund would draw from:

• Proceeds of privatisation and disposal of selected state assets
• Allocations approved by Parliament
• Commercially viable investments capable of generating returns

For ordinary Kenyans, the technical language translates into something tangible--whether future highways, housing developments, ports or energy plants are financed through new loans or through partnerships and asset restructuring.

Committee members spent hours reviewing stakeholder submissions gathered during public participation, fine-tuning recommendations before tabling their report.

The intensity reflects broader public concern over rising debt levels and the cost of servicing loans. Any financing shift affects everything from taxation space to the pace at which projects are delivered.

Earlier in the day, the Committee also adopted the Draft Report on Sessional Paper No. 3 of 2025 concerning the Government’s partial divestiture of Safaricom PLC--another signal that asset restructuring is becoming central to fiscal strategy.

Beyond procedure

While parliamentary calendars move predictably, the implications rarely feel abstract outside the chamber.

Funding models determine which projects break ground, which stall, and how much future generations will repay.