President William Ruto speaks during the inspection of the construction progress of the proposed national referral hospital for Western Kenya in Kakamega County on November 2, 2025. /PCS
President William Ruto has announced that his administration will soon present to Parliament a comprehensive set of proposals aimed at transforming Kenya into a developed nation within the next two to three decades.
Speaking on Sunday at the African Divine Church in Gamalenga, Vihiga County, Ruto said the proposals will outline the government’s long-term strategy to elevate Kenya from a third-world to a first-world economy through large-scale investments in infrastructure, energy, and agriculture.
“We have the plans and the vision to change this country from a Third World country to a First World country,” Ruto said.
“It is possible to take this country to that level in our lifetime, in about 20 to 30 years.”
The President said the country requires Sh1.5 trillion for infrastructure projects—including roads, railways, and airports—and an additional Sh1.5 trillion for energy development.
A similar amount, he said, will be directed toward agriculture, with a goal of bringing two million acres of land under active cultivation.
“To raise that money, we do not have to raise taxes; we just need brains—and that we have,” he emphasised.
Ruto estimated that Sh4 trillion would be needed overall to shift Kenya from being a food-importing nation to a net exporter of agricultural products.
The plan, he added, aims to ensure that all regions are connected through efficient transport networks and have access to reliable power.
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Cooperatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, Vihiga Governor Wilbur Otichillo, Senators Godfrey Osotsi (Vihiga) and Samson Cherargei (Nandi), as well as MPs George Aladwa (Makadara) and Omboko Milemba (Emuhaya), among other leaders accompanied the President.
Ruto stressed that Kenya must break free from poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment, drawing inspiration from Asian nations that have successfully industrialised.
“China did it, Indonesia did it, Malaysia did it, South Korea and Singapore did it—Kenya will also do it,” he declared.
He also urged citizens to remain optimistic and patriotic, warning against those who “speak ill” of the country or portray it as a failed state.
“We want to tell them, shame on you, because Kenya is a blessed, great nation, and we are going places,” Ruto said. “There are leaders who, when they speak, you wonder why they are leaders if they do not believe anything good can come out of Kenya.”
The proposed transformation blueprint, expected to be tabled in Parliament in the coming weeks, will mark one of the most ambitious economic visions of Ruto’s administration since taking office.
