Ruto calls for new national development charter as Vision 2030 nears end

‎President William Ruto has called for the creation of a new long-term national development charter to guide Kenya's economic transformation beyond Vision 2030, saying the next development agenda must rise above politics and electoral cycles.

Ruto said Kenya needed to begin a broad national conversation on the kind of country it wants to build over the next generation.

‎Speaking during his special State of the Nation address, ‎the president said the proposed framework should be anchored in the 2010 Constitution and reflect the country's long-term development aspirations.

‎"As Vision 2030 approaches its horizon, our responsibility is not simply to replace it with another government document or plan. Our responsibility is far greater under the 2010 Constitution, that is to craft a new national development charter," Ruto said.

‎The President said the process should involve Kenyans from across the country and should not be driven by political interests.

‎"This national conversation must rise above politics, transcend electoral cycles, and unite us around a shared destiny," he said.

‎Ruto said Vision 2030 had played a significant role in shaping Kenya's development priorities over the past two decades by informing public policy, catalysing investments and providing a common national direction.

‎He, however, acknowledged that some of the targets set under the framework had not been achieved, including the ambition of transforming Kenya into an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.

‎"Vision 2030 has brought us this far, but it is approaching its horizon. It has served Kenya well. It transformed the way we think about national development, provided a common direction, inspired investment and guided policy," he said.

‎"But honesty also requires us to acknowledge that some of its ambitions remain unattained."

‎Ruto said the country should not view the unfulfilled targets as a failure but as an opportunity to assess what worked, identify shortcomings and establish a more ambitious framework for the future.

‎The President reflected on Kenya's economic journey since independence, comparing its progress with countries that had undergone major industrial and economic transformations.

‎He noted that Kenya and South Korea had comparable GDP per capita levels in 1965, but South Korea had since moved far ahead.

‎"In 1965, Kenya and South Korea each had a GDP per capita of approximately 110 US dollars. Today, South Korea exceeds 36,000 US dollars compared to ours of 2,400 US dollars," he said.

‎Ruto similarly cited China's rapid economic transformation after reforms began in 1980 and Vietnam's progress since the 1990s as examples of countries that had significantly altered their economic fortunes within a generation.

‎He challenged Kenyans to reflect on why other countries had taken advantage of major waves of global economic transformation while Kenya had not fully capitalised on them.

‎"The question we must ask ourselves candidly and honestly is why other nations have fulfilled so much of their potential, while we have repeatedly fallen short," he said.

‎Ruto urged Kenyans to use the coming period to define a more ambitious development path, saying the next national plan should create institutions and policies capable of delivering prosperity that extends beyond individual administrations.

‎"We can, we must, and we shall, together, get it right this time round," he said.

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‎Ruto says Africa's economic rise gives Kenya 'once-in-a-generation' opportunity

‎President William Ruto has said Kenya is entering a potentially historic period of economic transformation, citing improved macroeconomic stability and Africa's growing position in the global economy as reasons the country must prepare for its next development phase.

‎In his special State of the Nation address, Ruto said Kenya had laid a stronger economic foundation over the past four years and was now better positioned to take advantage of emerging opportunities.

‎"I believe we are on the threshold of one such historic moment," Ruto said.

‎He identified four reasons why he believes Kenya is entering a defining period, beginning with the restoration of economic stability.

‎Ruto said the government had stabilised the currency, rebuilt foreign exchange reserves to more than $15 billion, equivalent to 6.5 months of import cover, and reduced inflation and borrowing costs.

‎"Because we have restored stability, rebuilt investor confidence and laid a firm foundation for our economy, now is the perfect opportunity for Kenya to begin shaping the next phase of our national development," he said.

‎The President said investor confidence had also improved, with Kenya attracting a record $3.2 billion in foreign direct investment last year, more than double the amount recorded in 2022.

‎He further cited Kenya's position in the 2025 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, which he said placed the country as Africa's most competitive economy.

‎Ruto said the government had also established institutions intended to support long-term development, including the National Infrastructure Fund and a sovereign wealth fund.

‎"These institutions represent more than new opportunities. They embody a philosophy of nation building that lasting prosperity is built through institutions that outlive governments," he said.

‎The second factor, he said, was the approaching end of Vision 2030, which provides an opportunity to develop a new long-term national development framework.

‎The President also identified Africa's economic potential as the third major reason for optimism.

‎"The next great wave of economic transformation will, I believe, be African," he said.

‎He pointed to Africa's rapidly growing population, renewable energy potential, agricultural resources and increasing interest from global investors as factors that could position the continent at the centre of the next phase of global economic growth.

‎"Nine of the world's fastest-growing economies are in Africa, and by 2050, one in every four people on Earth will be African," Ruto said.

‎He said Kenya had missed opportunities presented by previous global economic transformation waves, but now had the chance to benefit from what he described as a once-in-a-generation opening.

‎The President urged Kenyans to look beyond immediate political and economic pressures and begin preparing for the country's long-term future.

‎"While we may not have taken full advantage of the previous three great waves of global transformation, we have a historic moment and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said.