Ruto's Sh5 trillion 4-point blueprint to push Kenya into the First World status

President William Ruto has announced an ambitious national blueprint aimed at transforming Kenya from a developing country into a First World economy within a generation. 

Delivering his State of the Nation Address to Parliament on November 20, 2025, he said Kenya must now “choose ambition over fear” and abandon the “false comfort of low expectations.” 

He argued that the country has the talent, resources, and potential to match former peers such as South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, nations that rose from poverty to global industrial powerhouses through discipline and long-term vision.

Four pillars of the First World plan

1. Massive investment in people, innovation and scientific training

President Ruto said Kenya must invest aggressively in education, STEM skills, research and innovation if it is to become a globally competitive economy. 

He announced the creation of a dedicated State Department for Science, Research and Innovation and a plan to raise research funding from the current 0.8% to 2% of GDP. 

He projected that a national research fund worth Sh1 trillion over 10 years would support innovation, commercialise Kenyan ideas and build a new generation of engineers, scientists and technology leaders.

2. Turning Kenya into a net exporter through irrigation and agro-industrialisation

The president said Kenya cannot continue relying on rain-fed agriculture, noting that only 15% of the country receives adequate rainfall. 

He unveiled a nationwide irrigation programme that includes building 50 mega dams, 200 medium and small dams, and thousands of micro-dams to bring at least 2.5 million acres under irrigation within seven years.

He said irrigation will feed county aggregation parks, EPZs and SEZs, allowing Kenya to replace expensive imports such as maize, sugar, rice, wheat and edible oil, which currently cost the country Sh500 billion annually. 

Agro-industrialisation, he said, will be the backbone of future exports.

3. Generating 10,000MW of new power within seven years

Ruto said the energy sector is central to Kenya’s industrial ambitions, noting that although Kenya’s installed capacity is 3,300MW, only 2,300MW is firm due to the intermittence of solar and wind. 

He announced a plan to generate an additional 10,000MW through geothermal, solar, wind, hydro and eventually nuclear sources.

He said modern industries, data centres, artificial intelligence infrastructure, electric mobility and large-scale manufacturing all require reliable, abundant and affordable electricity.

4. Transforming transport and logistics nationwide

President Ruto said transport infrastructure remains the backbone of national competitiveness. He revealed that 2,500km of highways have been mapped for dualing and 28,000km for tarmacking over the next decade. 

He confirmed that JKIA, the Port of Mombasa and the Port of Lamu will undergo modernisation through PPP arrangements.

He also announced that the Standard Gauge Railway will be extended from Naivasha to Kisumu starting in January 2026, before pushing onward to Malaba. 

He said the Rironi–Naivasha–Nakuru–Mau Summit dualing will be launched next week, alongside the dualing of Rironi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha.

How Kenya will raise the money

President Ruto said the four national priorities will require at least Sh5 trillion, which he described as “large, but necessary.” 

To finance them sustainably, he announced the creation of the National Infrastructure Fund and the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

The National Infrastructure Fund will channel all privatisation proceeds exclusively into new infrastructure. 

Ruto said these funds will no longer be absorbed into recurrent budgets but reinvested into long-term national assets. 

He projected that every shilling from privatisation could attract ten shillings from global investors through capital markets, pension funds, sovereign partners and development financiers.

The Sovereign Wealth Fund will store a portion of revenues from natural resources and privatisation. 

It will be guided by three pillars: savings for future generations, stabilisation during global shocks and commercial investment in national projects. 

The President said this prevents future losses like those seen after titanium deposits at the Coast were depleted without structured benefits for future generations.

National ambition

President Ruto closed his address by urging the country to embrace a higher level of ambition, saying the proposed blueprint represents a turning point for Kenya’s long-term development. 

He positioned the plan as a generational assignment that requires unity, discipline and sustained focus from leaders and citizens alike.

He argued that the decisions made today will shape the quality of life, economic stability and global standing of future generations.

Ruto emphasised that Kenya now stands at a pivotal moment, with an opportunity to break historical cycles of underinvestment and unlock the country’s full potential. 

He said the roadmap he presented is designed to set the foundation for a more prosperous, secure and globally competitive nation, and that its success will depend on the collective resolve to follow through.

The President concluded by stating that the path ahead may be demanding, but the country has the capacity and resilience to deliver on this vision and secure a First World future for Kenya.