President William Ruto’s ambitious plan to transition Kenya into a first-world country, modelling countries such as Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia, will require at least Ksh.5 trillion.
Speaking during the State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday, President Ruto revealed that his administration will prioritise four pillars to turn the plan into a reality: investing in the people, transforming the economy, generating additional energy and transforming the transport and logistics sector.
On the first pillar, the Head of State pointed out that the government must invest in the people through education, skills development, scientific training and innovation capacity.
He noted that his administration has already set the foundation through major reforms in the education sector, such as increasing the budget from Ksh.490 billion to Ksh.700 billion in four years and scaling up STEM courses to strengthen innovation and promote research.
“We have increased the education budget from Ksh.490 billion in 2021 to over Ksh.700 billion this year, which has facilitated better infrastructure in our education system, more teachers and trainers, and enhanced funding for our colleges and universities,” Ruto remarked.
On economic transformation, the President reiterated that the country must move from being a net importer to a net exporter of products, goods and services in a bid to save the nation from spending an average Ksh.500 billion annually on agricultural products.
“As I mentioned earlier, we have already made interventions to reduce imports of maize, sugar, edible oil, rice, and wheat, but our efforts are undermined by the natural limits of rain-fed agriculture,” he said.
Another key intervention in the food sector involves building 50 mega dams alongside 200 additional medium and small dams to bring at least 2.5 million acres under irrigation within the next five to seven years.
Generating additional energy remains a critical pillar in Ruto’s administration to transform the country.
He noted that Kenya only produces 2,300 MW against a desired target of 10,000 MW. He added that this target would be key in modernizing the economy by leveraging technology to transform key sectors.
The final pillar involved enhancing the transport sector by maintaining world-class seaports, airports, highways and digital corridors.
“Efficient transport and logistics are the backbone of our competitiveness. They accelerate national development, connect products to markets, move goods and services, lower the cost of doing business, and will reinforce Kenya as the aviation and commercial capital of East and Central Africa,” he noted.
The Head of State pointed out that his administration targets 2,500 highways for dualing and 28,000 km of roads to be tarmacked in the next decade.
Further, entry points such as the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Mombasa and Lamu ports will be modernised through private-public partnerships within the next year.
Another key infrastructure includes the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Kisumu and Malaba beginning in January 2026.
To finance these projects, the President revealed that he will focus on the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF) and the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF).
The NIF involves using budgeted resources effectively and introducing a financing architecture that leverages capital markets, diversifies ownership through privatisation, and uses PPP frameworks to channel private capital into public priorities.
On the other hand, the SWF will include setting aside royalties from natural resources and proceeds of the privatisation of national assets to be invested in the Fund.
He noted that such financial moves are necessary in changing the country’s trajectory.
“I discussed this vision with the late Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, who reminded me that no nation has industrialised without roads, energy, and food security,” he highlighted.
“I have also engaged former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who emphasised the necessity of scaling up infrastructure investments.”
The President concluded by calling on Parliament and other stakeholders to embrace the vision to transform the nation to first-world status.
By Brian Kimani
