President William Ruto addresses the Kenyan diaspora in Doha, Qatar, on the sidelines of the United Nations Social Development Summit, November 4, 2025. /PCSPresident William Ruto has urged Kenyans to abandon what he termed “average thinking” and instead adopt a mindset of excellence and ambition to propel the country toward greater development and global competitiveness.
Speaking on Tuesday during a meeting with Kenyans living in Doha, Qatar, Ruto said Kenya’s pace of growth and transformation would remain slow unless its citizens embraced visionary and courageous thinking.
“My friends, the problem we have in Kenya is average thinking — ordinary, usual. Unless we up our game, unless we up our ambition, unless we think about the extraordinary... we have to begin to think excellence, let go of average,” the President said.
Ruto, who came to power in 2022 on a platform built around the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), said Kenya’s transformation depended on citizens who believe that bold ideas are achievable.
He challenged Kenyans to emulate countries that have achieved rapid progress through innovative thinking, hard work and discipline.
“This average thinking is what is costing us. We look at everything and think it’s impossible. Others did it — why can’t we do it?” he asked.
The President reminded the diaspora audience that his administration’s economic plan sought to elevate ordinary citizens — especially those in the informal sector — by empowering them to participate fully in the national economy.
The BETA model was designed to prioritise small-scale enterprises, agriculture and manufacturing while addressing unemployment among the youth.
The plan includes the ambitious affordable housing and social health insurance programmes - initiatives that have faced some degree of resistance from a section of Kenyans, which Ruto said required public confidence and ambition to succeed.
“So, I really want to persuade you, as citizens of our great country, let us agree to change Kenya. We can do it,” he said.
Ruto met the diaspora audience on the sidelines of the United Nations Social Development Summit, which started on Tuesday.
He outlined measures being implemented to support Kenyans in the diaspora, who he said remain vital to the country’s economy through remittances and investment.
The government, he revealed, had streamlined passport processing to ensure that Kenyans with job offers abroad can obtain travel documents in just three days, down from three months.
He also said over 600 rogue labour agencies had been deregistered to protect workers from exploitation, and that only countries with formal bilateral labour agreements would be allowed to receive Kenyan workers.
“At the same time, we are exploring ways to make it cheaper and easier for Kenyans to send money home and creating more investment pathways, including through instruments such as the proposed diaspora bond, to strengthen their contribution to our economy,” the President said.
The Second World Summit for Social Development, which concludes on Thursday, brings together world leaders to advance a people-centred approach to development focused on eradicating poverty, promoting full and productive employment, and fostering social integration.
