Centum names Thomas Omondi as new CEO after Mworia exit

The Board of Directors said in a statement on Monday that Omondi is currently the Group Chief Operating Officer (C00) and Partner for Portfolio Operations at Centum Capital Partners and has served in the position since 2018.

"Mr. Omondi brings over 25 years of senior executive leadership and strategic transformation experience. He has overseen strategy development, turnarounds, value creation, and capital exits across more than 15 investee companies," the statement noted in part.

The Board added that Mr. Omondi previously served as the Chief Transformation Officer for Sidian Bank and also serves on several boards, including Longhorn Publishers PLC, Nabo Capital, Jafari Credit, Tribus Solutions Group, Tier Data, and Greenblade Growers. 

His portfolio also includes an over 13-year stint at Kenya Airways in key executive positions, including Chief Transformation Officer, Director of Strategy & Performance Management, Acting Chief Commercial Officer, General Manager of Jambojet, Head of Operations Control, Head of HR Business Partners and Head of IT Development. 

He holds a BSc in Mathematics and an MBA in Finance from the University of Nairobi, and an MBA in General Management from IESE Business School (Spain). 

Likewise, Dr. Mworia's exit to join government brings an end to an 18-year leadership, where he spearheaded the evolution of Centum from a local investment firm into East Africa's premier diversified investment platform.

The Board intimated that under his leadership, total assets grew tenfold from Ksh.4 billion and operating on a Ksh.200 million overdraft in December 2008 to approximately Ksh.46 billion today. 

"He retired Ksh.20 billion in total Group debt (including Ksh.16 billion at Centum PLC level), eliminating holding company leverage and refinancing risk. 

"He led the creation of flagship Strategic Platforms and repositioned and fully deleveraged major strategic holdings—including Vipingo SEZ Pearl Marina, and TRIFIC SEZ—without requiring additional equity," the Board added.

At the NIF board, Dr. Mworia will lead the dual mission of establishing the Fund as a credible national investment institution and building the infrastructure enterprises required to deliver its mandate. 

This will include establishing NIF's organisation, people, systems and institutional culture on operationalising its governance, investment and risk-management frameworks, developing a credible and investable project pipeline, mobilising co-investment capital and progressing priority projects through rigorous appraisal, structuring and execution. 

NIF, a long-term transformation wagon shepherded by President William Ruto, will serve as the key engine for aligning the administration’s financial resources with national development priorities.

President Ruto signed the National Infrastructure Fund Act, 2026, into law on March 9, paving the way for the government to mobilise up to Ksh.5 trillion over the next decade through privatisation and alternative financing mechanisms to support major infrastructure projects.

Treasury CS Mbadi earlier intimated that the fund will help reduce Kenya’s overreliance on borrowing to finance development projects.

Among the projects expected to benefit from the fund is the planned expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Malaba, construction of about 2,500 kilometres of dual highways, and development of 10,000 megawatts of clean energy capacity.