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NAIROBI - Kenya's cabinet has approved the creation of an infrastructure fund and a sovereign wealth fund to finance projects such as roads and power plants and ease pressure on public borrowing, it said on Monday.
President William Ruto said in October the infrastructure fund would invest in key sectors without increasing public debt to levels that have strained public finances in recent years.
"Both funds will be professionally and independently managed under clear governance, transparency and accountability frameworks," the cabinet said in a statement.
Alongside government funding, the funds will be open to investors including pension funds, sovereign partners, private equity firms and development finance institutions, it added.
Kenya has one of the highest debt-service-to-revenue ratios in Africa after ramping up borrowing to build infrastructure over the past decade.
Earlier this month, Finance Minister John Mbadi said proceeds from the government's sale of a 15% stake in telecoms firm Safaricom would provide initial capital for the two funds.
Another source of money will be a planned share sale in state-owned Kenya Pipeline Company, which manages petroleum transport infrastructure in Kenya and into neighbouring states.
The funds will also be used to boost electricity generation. Kenya, which has 2,300 megawatts of installed capacity, needs at least 10,000 megawatts to industrialise, Ruto said in October.





















