NAIROBI, Kenya, July 30 – President William Ruto has announced the start of a nationwide public consultation to develop Kenya’s next long-term development blueprint, saying the country must seize a historic opportunity to chart its future beyond Vision 2030.
In a special address from State House on Thursday evening, Ruto said the national conversation, set to be formally launched on August 12, would be the most significant exercise in public participation since the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.
He said the process would culminate in a people-driven national development charter that will guide Kenya’s economic transformation beyond the lifespan of Vision 2030.
“This is not a conversation about producing another government document. It is about forging a new national consensus on the country we intend to become and the standards by which we shall measure our progress,” the President said.
Ruto described the initiative as a constitutional obligation rather than a government project, saying it must rise above politics and electoral cycles to unite Kenyans around a shared vision for future generations.
He acknowledged that while Vision 2030 had shaped national development for nearly two decades, some of its key aspirations, including attaining upper-middle-income status, remain unmet.
The President urged the country to learn from nations such as South Korea, China and Vietnam, which transformed their economies through long-term planning and structural reforms while Kenya missed similar opportunities.
He argued that the country is now better positioned to pursue a new phase of development after restoring macroeconomic stability.
According to Ruto, Kenya has stabilised its currency, rebuilt foreign exchange reserves to more than US$15 billion, reduced inflation and borrowing costs, and attracted a record US$3.2 billion in foreign direct investment last year.
He also cited Kenya’s ranking as Africa’s most competitive economy in the 2025 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking as evidence that economic reforms had restored investor confidence.
The President said Africa is entering a new era of economic transformation driven by its youthful population, natural resources and expanding markets, presenting Kenya with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to become a leading industrial and investment hub.
He stressed that the new vision must be developed through extensive public participation involving political leaders, counties, the private sector, academia, faith groups, civil society, professionals, workers, creatives and young people.
Ruto revealed that he had commissioned a team led by Professor Hiroyuki Hino and Kisumu Governor Professor Anyang’ Nyong’o to develop strategic guidelines for Kenya’s long-term transformation, whose proposals will serve as the basis for the national consultations.
He said the team’s recommendations conclude that Kenya can become a prosperous, high-income, industrialised and globally competitive nation within one generation if it remains united, disciplined and committed to long-term development.
The nationwide consultations will officially begin on August 12, with Ruto inviting all Kenyans to participate in shaping what he described as the country’s next development charter beyond Vision 2030.
