Move to block Director General barred from appointment as National Infrastructure Fund CEO launched
By Correspondent
An activist had raised a red flag on the possible appointment of
Eng. Kefa Seda, the Director General of the Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Directorate at the National Treasury and Economic Planning as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Infrastructure Fund.
Eng Kefa Seda has been linked to the race for the inaugural CEO of the newly established National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), a key government vehicle created to finance Kenya's long-term infrastructure development.
However,questions have emerged over some of the appointments already made and the eventual appointment of the CEO,with reports indicating Eng.Kefa Seda has been canniving behind the scenes to land the position.
At the centre of the intense lobbying are allegations of multi-million lobbying campaign by Eng.Seda .
At least Ksh.350 million bribe claims have emerged with the activist indicating he has reliable informative from relevant authorities.
This will be the second time Eng.Seda has been linked to bribery claims after beeing heavily mentioned in a Sh 200million bribery claim as a means of landing the current position he holds.
The activist said he will petition the board, national assembly and senate to use available mechanism to stop any such appointment.
Established under the National Infrastructure Fund Act, 2026, the Fund is expected to mobilize public and private capital to finance strategic infrastructure projects over the next 10 years.
The legislation provides that the Fund will be headed by a Chief Executive Officer, who will also serve as a member of its Board of Directors and be responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of its mandate.
The recruitment of the CEO will be undertaken by the newly constituted six-member Board of Directors appointed by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi for a three-year term.
The Board comprises Centum Investment Company Managing Director and CEO James Mworia Mwirigi, investment banking expert Fahima Ali Ahmed Zein, Acumen Africa Director Christopher Kibui Maranga, Latoya Ouna, National Treasury Director General for Public Investments and Portfolio Management Lawrence Kibet, and Mohammed Abdirahman Hassan.
Beyond the Board, the Fund is overseen by a Governing Council chaired by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi.
Other statutory members include Central Bank of Kenya Governor Kamau Thugge and Attorney General Dorcas Oduor.
Independent members of the Governing Council are Prof. Benedict Oramah, Faith Boinett, Paul Russo and Richard Etemesi.
It is feared that should he secure the position, Eng. Seda past record in government agencies could taint the purpose of the fund.
" I don't think that he would bring the much needed and considerable experience in infrastructure financing and public-private partnerships despite his current position,the activist said.
He currently heads the PPP Directorate, where he oversees the development and implementation of PPP projects across government ministries, departments and agencies.
However, accountability questions over the PPP projects have continued to emerge.
Before joining the National Treasury, Seda served for about eight years at the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), rising from Senior Engineer to Deputy Director in charge of Construction within the PPP Department.
During his tenure, he was involved in some of Kenya's flagship infrastructure projects, including the Nairobi Expressway and the proposed Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit Highway PPP project.
His previous professional experience includes serving as Senior Training Engineer at GIBB Africa, Highways Engineer at Norken International and Materials Engineer at APEC Consortium Limited.
He is a registered engineer with the Engineers Board of Kenya, a member of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya and a Certified Public-Private Partnership Professional (CP3P).
He holds a Bachelor's degree in Structural and Civil Engineering from Moi University and an MBA from Strathmore Business School.
Eng. Seda's appointment as Director General of the PPP Directorate attracted public attention in 2025 after some online publications alleged irregularities in the recruitment process and called for investigations.
Civil society groups also questioned the transparency of the appointment.
The activist also wants the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC),Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to initiate investigations into the operations and activities of Eng.Kefa Seda.
With the National Infrastructure Fund expected to become one of Kenya's most influential financing institutions, the appointment of its pioneer CEO is likely to attract significant public and industry interest.
The successful candidate will be tasked with steering the Fund's operations and helping deliver the government's ambitious infrastructure investment agenda through innovative financing and strategic partnerships.