President William Ruto on Tuesday received a new policy report that seeks to chart Kenya’s economic course beyond the expiration of the country’s long-running Vision 2030 development plan, launched by President Mwai Kibaki on June 10, 2008.
The report, titled “Developing a New Vision for Kenya: Towards a First World Nation,” was prepared by a panel of economists, academics and public policy experts led by Professor Hiroyuki Hino, a former International Monetary Fund mission chief for Kenya and senior adviser in the IMF’s African Department.
Other prominent contributors included Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o, as well as scholars Michael Chege, Karuti Kanyinga and Peter Wanyande.
Speaking at State House in Nairobi, President Ruto welcomed the report as a timely contribution to national planning. He noted that Vision 2030, launched nearly two decades ago, has served as a guiding framework for reforms and investment but will soon reach its conclusion.
A successor strategy, he said, is essential to sustain momentum.
“These efforts are driven by a larger reality. For nearly two decades, Vision 2030 has provided Kenya with a shared sense of purpose and direction. It has guided reforms, inspired investment, and shaped our nation’s development journey,” Ruto said.
“As it nears completion, we have a responsibility to define a new long-term vision for the generations that follow.”
The proposed framework would replace Vision 2030 with a new 30-year roadmap spanning 2030 to 2060, setting out reforms aimed at lifting Kenya into the ranks of high-income industrialized economies.
According to outlines of the proposal, the plan aims to position Kenya as a politically stable democracy with an efficient civil service, strong adherence to the rule of law, macroeconomic stability and sustainable public debt levels.
Key priorities include raising farm productivity to enhance food security and generate export surpluses, expanding manufacturing sectors oriented toward global markets, and deepening investments in technology and innovation ecosystems.
If successful, the plan could position Kenya as a leading hub for industry, innovation, and services in Africa, potentially attracting greater foreign investment and elevating living standards across the region.
Let’s wait and see.
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