President William Ruto has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to transform Kenya into a first-world nation within a generation, emphasizing three key priorities — food security, value addition and manufacturing, and infrastructure development.
Speaking during Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kitui Stadium, Ruto urged Kenyans to set “daring and audacious goals” and work together beyond political affiliations to achieve national transformation. He noted that Kenya’s progress must remain an inclusive, non-partisan mission.
Ruto warned that Kenya’s heavy dependence on food imports — costing over Sh500 billion annually — poses a serious threat to economic sovereignty. To address this, his administration plans to modernize agriculture through large-scale irrigation. The government aims to bring two million acres under irrigation by constructing 50 mega dams across the country, marking a shift from rain-fed to irrigation-based farming.
“Prosperity cannot be achieved while we import basic foodstuffs like maize, rice, and sugar,” Ruto said, adding that Kenya must become a production-driven economy rather than a consumer one.
The President also highlighted the Africa Growth and Industrialisation Initiative (AGII), launched in partnership with the African Export-Import Bank, to establish Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Vipingo, Dongo Kundu, Naivasha, and other regions. These zones will host industries in textiles, agro-processing, and light manufacturing — creating tens of thousands of jobs.
Ruto further announced major infrastructure projects to boost connectivity, including the dualing of 1,000 kilometers of key highways and the construction of 10,000 kilometers of new tarmac roads to link producers with markets. Additionally, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to completing the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) extension from Naivasha to Kisumu and Malaba to enhance trade within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“These goals may seem ambitious, but that is where bold and visionary leadership is needed,” Ruto said, acknowledging the spirit of national unity exemplified by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
