During his third State of the Nation Address, President William Ruto presented an inspiring and ambitious roadmap that is aimed at transforming Kenya into a modern globally competitive and first-world economy. His proposals for industrialization, energy expansion, infrastructure development and technological advancement reflect a refreshing boldness.
Kenya can achieve this vision but ambition alone is never enough. Through discipline, transparency, good governance and integrity is when the vision for a first world country will turn into a reality.
We have been here before as a country. Vision 2030 was launched with great excitement and promise. Today, with only five years remaining, many of its most important pillars remain partially complete or untouched. We have built highways, expanded power supply, modernized some sections of the railway and improved education infrastructure but the deeper structural transformation envisioned has not yet materialized.
The president’s new vision risks falling into the same pattern unless Kenya confronts the fundamental issue that has always held us back. Weak management of public funds, political interference and the absence of transparent technocratic execution is among the causes of not realizing the plans we set every year. Every project in our country stars with momentum but we lack the discipline to sustain the momentum and good will to achieve these goals yet they can be easily achieved.
No nation advances with ideas alone. Countries like Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia some of which president Ruto often cites did not get to where they are because they had brilliant speeches. They advanced because they managed their resources with discipline, integrity and long-term continuity.
Development money must not be treated as campaign ammunition especially now we are moving towards 2027 election period. Funds meant for development must remain strictly insulated from politics. We need to implement legal and institutional firewall to prevent projects from being redirected, inflated or abandoned whenever leadership changes since it has been a major challenge.
Constant recurring problem in large national projects is political interference. When politicians lead technical processes, projects get politicized, delayed and often compromised. Countries that we look upon and have made the leap to first-world status succeeded because they empowered competent institutions and not political loyalties to drive national transformation.
President Ruto’s blueprint can propel Kenya into a new era of prosperity since he has strong clear vision and an admirable ambition but discipline and good leadership will bring it to fruition.
