Nairobi, May 7 -- Many observers did not fully grasp the symbolism and significance of the appointment of Benedict Oramah as chairman of the Governing Council of Kenya's newly created National Infrastructure Fund earlier this year.

Prof Oramah is not merely a distinguished name for a letterhead; he is the architect of the most consequential experiment in African financial self-reliance of the last decade. Under his leadership, African Export-Import Bank's balance sheet grew almost eightfold, from $6 billion to nearly $44 billion by the time he concluded his tenure in October 2025.

President William Ruto's administration is experimenting with a bold idea. It is signaling that Kenya is no longer content to play by the old rules of the glo...