The Infrastructure Fund under scrutiny

Good evening. It’s Brian from The Kenyan Wall Street.

These are our stories today :

Why the Infrastructure Fund Is Under Constitutional Scrutiny

By Brian Nzomo

The Controller of Budget has joined a High Court challenge against the National Infrastructure Fund, arguing the law establishing it was designed to bypass her constitutional oversight over withdrawals from public funds and allow borrowing and government guarantees without prior parliamentary approval. The case, brought by petitioners including COFEK and Katiba Institute, also questions the Fund's legality on six constitutional grounds, including the Senate's exclusion, public borrowing oversight and the creation of a new public fund. 

While the court declined to suspend the Fund, it ordered the Treasury to disclose certified accounts within 30 days and continue filing quarterly reports as the case proceeds, allowing proceeds from recent state asset sales to keep flowing into the vehicle. The Treasury and Attorney General maintain the Act was properly enacted after public participation, qualifies as a money bill and already contains safeguards through National Assembly approval of the Fund's investment policy before any money can be spent. The High Court will now determine whether the Act complies with the Constitution while the Fund continues operating under heightened transparency requirements.

Read the article here >>>>>

Heads Up

China-Africa Trade Drives Yuan Transaction Boom

By Brian Nzomo

Standard Bank has crossed the US$1 billion mark in yuan payments, processing more than 8 billion yuan through China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) in its first year of direct participation. The milestone reflects a broader shift in Africa-China trade, with more businesses settling transactions directly in renminbi as trade volumes climb and access to dollars remains constrained in many markets. The bank has since become Africa’s first renminbi clearing bank, giving financial institutions across 19 countries a direct link into China’s payment infrastructure. Standard Bank now plans to expand CIPS access to additional African markets by the end of 2026 as yuan-based trade continues to gain traction.

Read the full article here >>>>>

OPINION : Africa’s Farmers Are Not ‘Unbankable’

By Abraham Nyabera

Africa's farmers are often described as "unbankable," yet the sector generates roughly 30% of the continent's GDP while receiving just 6% of commercial bank lending, leaving an estimated US$180 billion annual financing gap. An analysis by FarmFuzion argues the real problem is not farmers' creditworthiness but financial systems that fail to capture the rich data generated through farming, from input purchases and harvests to cooperative deliveries and digital payments. However, AI, satellite imagery and alternative credit scoring can help lenders assess farmers based on productivity, cash flows and repayment behavior rather than traditional collateral, while enabling financial products that better reflect agricultural cycles. The broader lesson is that farmers do not need to be made bankable; they need financial infrastructure capable of recognizing the economic value they already create.

Read the full article here »»»»»

Also Read…

What You Should Watch! 

Brand Partnerships

Keep up with what’s happening on our X and LinkedIn pages. Stay updated with the latest financial news on our website The Kenyan Wall Street.