COTU has accused critics of the National Infrastructure Fund of lacking vision, insisting the proposed reforms are long overdue to drive Kenya’s transformation, attract investment and create jobs.
In a statement dated December 16, 2025, the Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya) said it fully supports the establishment of the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF) and the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), describing them as critical tools for long-term development and the welfare of Kenyan workers.
The union argued that Kenya has delayed decisive structural reforms for too long while infrastructure gaps and underdevelopment continue to hold back economic progress.
“The establishment of a material plan to transform our country into a modern society has been long overdue,” COTU said, warning that the country “cannot continue burying our heads in the sand, pretending that all is well while infrastructure gaps and underdevelopment persist.”
COTU maintained that no country develops by accident, stressing that sustained investment in infrastructure is essential to attract investment and create jobs.
The union listed quality roads and railways, modern ports and airports, reliable energy, affordable housing, water and sanitation, digital infrastructure, efficient logistics systems and resilient urban planning as the foundation of national development.
Those opposed to the NIF, the union said, are “actively standing in the way of Kenya’s future” and driven by “fear of change, lack of exposure and a complete absence of vision.”
It added that Kenyan workers would not allow themselves to be “held hostage by short-term thinking and reactionary politics meant to undermine the welfare of Kenyan workers and the economic development of our beloved country.”
COTU also called on professionals across sectors — including professors, economists, engineers, planners, accountants and lawyers — to rise above cynicism and help educate the public “honestly and responsibly” on why the National Infrastructure Fund is necessary and how it will secure the future of workers and their families.
The union threw its weight behind President William Ruto, praising what it described as his bold and decisive leadership.
“As workers, we stand firmly behind H.E. the President for demonstrating boldness, clarity of thought, and vision in charting a new development path for our country,” the statement said, adding that no Kenyan leader since independence had pursued transformation with similar ambition.
COTU pointed to countries such as Malaysia and Singapore, where long-term infrastructure planning and sovereign investment vehicles underpinned industrialisation, job creation and rising living standards.
Locally, it urged critics to visit towns such as Kisumu, Eldoret and Kakamega to see how affordable housing and modern infrastructure are already improving workers’ quality of life.
While pledging full support, COTU also urged the President to maintain a “keen and uncompromising eye on governance, transparency and management” of the funds to ensure every shilling delivers real value.
