NAIROBI, Kenya- Dr James Mworia, one of Kenya’s longest-serving corporate executives, has been appointed the founding Chief Executive Officer of the National Infrastructure Fund.
His appointment takes effect on September 7, 2026, placing him at the centre of the government’s efforts to attract private capital for major infrastructure projects while reducing reliance on public debt.
Mworia joins the fund after nearly two decades as Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Centum Investment Company.
From an intern to Centum CEO
Mworia’s corporate journey began at Centum in 2001, when he joined the investment company as an intern working in its filing room.
He rose through the ranks to become head of investments in 2005. After briefly leaving Centum for TransCentury, he returned in October 2008 as CEO and managing director.
At 30, Mworia became one of the youngest people to lead a company listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
He has remained at the helm of Centum for 17 years, overseeing investments in real estate, financial services, education, consumer goods, agriculture and other sectors.
Centum describes itself as an investment channel offering shareholders access to a diversified portfolio of businesses and assets that are ordinarily difficult for individual investors to access.
The National Infrastructure Fund Board said Mworia helped transform Centum into a professional investment, development and capital-allocation institution.
It credited him with growing shareholders’ funds to approximately 11 times their opening value without raising additional equity at the holding-company level.
Mworia’s official Centum profile confirms that he has led the listed investment company since October 2008.
Lawyer, accountant and investment professional
Mworia holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi and is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
He is also a certified public accountant, a chartered global management accountant and a CFA charterholder.
Mworia is a member of the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and the CFA Institute.
In 2016, Machakos University awarded him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his contribution to business and education. He was appointed the university’s chancellor in the same year and secured a second five-year term in 2022, according to Machakos University.
He has also served on the boards of the Nairobi Securities Exchange and the Central Depository and Settlement Corporation.
His other corporate roles have included board positions at Sidian Bank, Almasi Beverages, Nairobi Bottlers, Isuzu East Africa and the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
The assignment awaiting Mworia
As the National Infrastructure Fund’s first CEO, Mworia will be responsible for building the institution from the ground up.
His initial responsibilities include establishing its organisational structure, recruiting personnel and creating governance, investment and risk-management systems.
He will also develop a pipeline of investable projects, mobilise domestic and international capital and guide priority projects through appraisal, structuring and execution.
The fund was established under the National Infrastructure Fund Act, 2026, to finance commercially viable public infrastructure without relying primarily on government borrowing.
It will target projects in transport and logistics, energy, information and communications technology, water and agriculture.
The fund intends to convert national infrastructure priorities into bankable projects and investable enterprises that can attract long-term investors.
Mworia’s appointment marks a significant transition from managing a diversified listed investment company to leading a state-backed institution expected to finance some of Kenya’s most consequential infrastructure projects.
