Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has held talks with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on widening the use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and alternative financing tools to accelerate delivery of priority government projects.
The meeting, held at the National Treasury, brought together senior Treasury officials and an IFC delegation led by Director Mary Porter Peschka. The Director General of the PPP Directorate, Kefa Seda, also attended the discussions.
According to Treasury officials, the talks focused on how PPPs and innovative financing instruments can be deployed to support infrastructure and social sector projects while maintaining fiscal discipline amid constrained public finances.
Mr Mbadi said the government is prioritising the development of well-structured and commercially viable projects to attract long-term private capital and ensure value for money for taxpayers. He noted that stronger project preparation is key to increasing investor participation in Kenya’s PPP pipeline.
The Cabinet Secretary also addressed the government’s divestiture programme, describing it as a capital recycling strategy rather than a source of funding for recurrent expenditure. He said proceeds from divestment are intended to be reinvested as seed capital to attract private investment, support capital market development and boost investor confidence.
The IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, has been involved in advising governments on PPP frameworks and mobilising private capital for development projects across emerging markets.