President Ruto's Blueprint for a First World Kenya. The Betterment he says must drive the succeeding chapter

By Erick Githuku

President William Ruto has unveiled a forward -looking economic agenda that he says can move Kenya towards earning her first world status, placing productivity, infrastructure, human capital, technology and industrialization at the center of the country's next phase of development.

The President's remarks come as Kenya approaches the near end of the Vision 2030 blueprint and begins discussions of what should replace it.

In a special nation address on July 30, Ruto called for a national dialogue to develop a progressive development agenda, debating that Kenya needs to look beyond individual political and electoral cycles when planning its economic prospects.

But beyond the drive of becoming a first world country, the President's recent speeches point out a few practical areas he says Kenya must get right.

1.Fostering Growth and Output

At the heart of the President's argument is productivity.

Speaking at the first National Productivity and Performance Conference, Ruto said Kenya cannot achieve first world country status without significantly improving the amount and quality of output produced by its workforce.

He identified human capital, asset, technology, country-level deliveries and national mobilizations as the five core catalysts for improving productivity.

The President maintained that education must go beyond increasing enrollment and focus more on producing workers with skills, knowledge and adaptability for the jobs in the future. He also urged upskilling for those already in the employment bracket.

This means Kenya's economic transformation essentially depends on whether the education system can produce a workforce capable of competing in the rapidly changing global economy.

2.Make infrastructure work for production

Infrastructure is another important pillar in Ruto's plan.

During his famous public lecture in LUISS School of Government in Rome, the President said Kenya aims at expanding transport and connectivity infrastructure, including roads, airports, railways and sea ports.

He also said the government intends to more than double the country’s paved road networks, while modernizing airports, ports and distribution centers.

The reasoning is straightforward: better connectivity should lower the cost of moving goods and people, strengthen trade and create opportunities for businesses and workers.

The government had also initiated a National Infrastructure Fund and Sovereign Wealth Fund as mechanisms for mobilizing long term capital for major development projects. The President said the infrastructure program could involve investments worth KSHS 5 trillion over a decade.

3.Turn Agriculture from Livelihood into an export engine

Ruto has also mentioned Agricultural transformation as a pivotal pillar in his plan.

He mentioned the plan to construct more than 50 mega dams which would be capable of bringing more than 2.5 million acres of land into productive use through irrigation.

The idea goes beyond food security and looks into increase in agricultural productivity, good pay for the farmers and great participation in the export markets.

This plan seeks to move Agriculture from rainfall dependence and low-value production towards irrigation, value addition and export-oriented farming.

4.Increase reliable and affordable energy

Industrialization requires reliable power, and Ruto has identified energy as a critical condition towards the plan for economic transformation.

The President said Kenya intends to more than triple installed electrical capacity within seven years, he argued that industries and modern technologies would strain to expand without affordable and dependable electricity.

The government has also linked the infrastructure agenda to increased investment in energy generation, with the aim of creating enough capacity to support manufacturing, technology and other productive sectors.

The challenge however will be ensuring increased generation translates to affordable and dependable electricity supply for households and businesses, particularly manufacturers whose competitiveness depends heavily on energy cost.

5.Industrialise and add value locally

Another center part of the President's vision is changing what Kenya and Africa sell to the world.

Ruto noted that Africa continues to export large quantities of quality raw materials while importing finished products. He calls for support through great investment in manufacturing, economic parks, special economic zones and regional value chains.

The President also pointed out the African Continental Free Trade Area to access a continental market of about 1.4 billion people.

For Kenya, the solution is not to simply produce more goods, but to process, manufacture and add value before exporting them.

That could create more jobs for Kenyans while allowing Kenyan businesses to get a bigger share from the value generated from the country's raw materials and agricultural products.

6.Use Technology to make government and the economy more efficient

Technology also features prominently in the head of state's vision.

The President said the government is redesigning government systems through digitization to make public services more accessible, transparent and responsive.

The President also pointed to the rising Kenyan digital economy citing examples like M-pesa, with this, he says Kenya already has a foundation of building a more technology-driven economy.

The next challenge is to ensure that technological transformation does not remain confined in government portals and technology companies but also spreads to manufacturing, education, healthcare and small businesses.

7. Build institutions that survive political cycles

The biggest shift in Ruto's messaging is his emphasis on long term planning.

As Vision 2030 approaches its end, he has called for a new development framework that should extend beyond individual administration.

In his July 30 address, The President emphasized that successful nations are built of strong institutions, disciplined execution and long-term plans rather than short term political cycles. He announced that Nationwide consultations on the country's new development vision would begin on August 12, involving political leaders, professionals, faith groups ,academia ,civil society , workers, innovators , businesses and young people .

8.Making merit and accountability part of the transformation

For the president, infrastructure and investment alone will not make Kenya a first world country.

His productivity agenda calls for merit-based public service recruitment and greater accountability in the delivery of government programmers.

The argument is that Kenya needs institutions capable of turning policies and financial resources into measurable results.

These places focus on execution -not simply announcing ambitious projects. What does the roadmap mean for an ordinary Kenyan?

The success of the proposed transformation will ultimately be measured not by the number of projects announced but more on their effect in everyday life.

A successful transformation would mean more productive jobs, better skills, reliable electricity, affordable transport, high agricultural incomes, stronger businesses, better public services and greater opportunities for young people.

The President had acknowledged that the Vision 2030 ambition of reaching the upper middle-income status has not been fully achieved. Rather than abandoning the long-term objective, he says the country should examine what worked and what did not and build a better road map for the decades ahead.

The President's message is therefore increasingly drifting from Vision 2030 to what comes after it-and from simply setting targets to building systems that will help deliver them.

Whether the ambition of a first world Kenya becomes a reality depends on how effectively these commitments are implemented, financed and sustained beyond political cycles.

Sources: Citizen Digital; Office of the President of Kenya ;KBC