President William Ruto has opened a major national conversation on Kenya's future as the country approaches the end of the Vision 2030 era, calling for a new development blueprint that puts citizens at the centre of determining the country's long-term direction.

Speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, President Ruto said Kenya had made significant progress across multiple sectors under Vision 2030, the national development blueprint launched in 2008 during the administration of former President Mwai Kibaki.

Ruto pointed to major infrastructure investments, including the Lamu Port, the Isiolo-Moyale road and the Nairobi Expressway, as examples of projects that have transformed the country, expanded economic opportunities and strengthened connectivity.

According to the President, these achievements have provided an important foundation on which Kenya can build as it begins thinking beyond Vision 2030.

But Ruto said the next phase should not simply be another government document filled with targets and programmes.

Instead, he called for a broader national conversation on the kind of country Kenyans want to build over the next decade and far into the future.

‘What comes next?’

Ruto framed the question facing the country in simple but consequential terms: What comes next after Vision 2030?

He said the question should not be treated merely as an exercise in preparing another development plan.

Rather, it should provide an opportunity for Kenyans to collectively imagine their country's future and determine the priorities that should guide national development beyond the current Vision 2030 framework.

“This is not simply a question about another plan or another set of targets,” Ruto said, emphasizing that the next national development vision should reflect the aspirations and ambitions of ordinary Kenyans.

The President said the process must be citizen-led and people-centred, with government taking a facilitative rather than prescriptive role.

Government to facilitate, not dictate

Ruto said the government would not prescribe the new national vision to citizens.

Instead, he said government would create the platforms, institutions and spaces necessary for Kenyans to participate in shaping the country's future.

This approach, he argued, would allow the next national vision to emerge from the collective aspirations, experiences and ideas of citizens rather than being developed solely within government offices.

The President said Kenya's future should be shaped through the participation of people from different sectors and backgrounds.

He specifically highlighted young people, entrepreneurs, farmers, workers, academics, civil society organisations and religious groups, among others, as important voices in the process.

The approach signals an attempt to broaden national development planning beyond traditional government-led policy formulation and place citizens at the heart of defining Kenya's long-term ambitions.

From Vision 2030 to a new national ambition

Vision 2030 was launched in 2008 as Kenya's long-term development blueprint, with the objective of transforming the country into a globally competitive and prosperous nation.

Over the years, the programme has guided investment in infrastructure, economic development, social services and governance.

Ruto said the country had made “tremendous strides” under the framework, particularly in infrastructure and major national projects.

The Lamu Port, the Isiolo-Moyale road and the Nairobi Expressway were cited as examples of developments that have improved connectivity and created new opportunities.

However, with Vision 2030 approaching the end of its planned course, the President said Kenya now needed to look beyond the achievements of the past two decades and establish a new long-term national ambition.

The conversation, he suggested, should not only address what Kenya wants to achieve in the next ten years but also consider the country's direction much further into the future.

Citizens at the centre

A defining feature of the proposed process will be public participation.

Ruto said Kenya's next vision must draw its ambition, ideas and aspirations directly from its people.

This means that the conversation is expected to extend beyond Nairobi and government institutions to include Kenyans across counties and sectors.

Young people are expected to have a particularly important role given their growing influence on the country's economy, technology, entrepreneurship and social landscape.

Entrepreneurs and businesses will also be central to discussions around investment, employment and economic growth, while farmers and workers will bring perspectives from some of the country's largest economic sectors.

Academics and experts are expected to contribute research and evidence, while civil society and religious organisations can provide perspectives on social development, inclusion and community needs.

Scholars provide intellectual foundation

Ruto also expressed appreciation to a team of scholars who have been involved in laying the intellectual foundation for the national conversation.

He singled out Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o and Professor Hiroyuki Hino, alongside the wider team of distinguished scholars, for their contribution to the process.

Their work is expected to provide an intellectual basis upon which the broader citizen-led conversation can develop.

The President's remarks suggest that the process will combine expert knowledge with public participation, allowing technical and academic perspectives to interact with the aspirations and lived experiences of ordinary Kenyans.

A new chapter for Kenya

The emerging debate comes at an important moment for Kenya.

As Vision 2030 moves towards the end of its original planning horizon, the country faces the challenge of determining what development priorities should guide the next generation.

The infrastructure built under Vision 2030 provides one foundation, but the next phase is likely to involve wider questions around jobs, technology, entrepreneurship, human capital, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education, climate resilience and inclusive economic growth.

Ruto's call for a citizen-led process places the emphasis on national ownership.

The President's message is that Kenya's next chapter should not be designed for citizens but with citizens.

The national conversation launched at KICC therefore marks the beginning of what could become one of the country's most significant policy discussions in the period following Vision 2030.

For Ruto, the central question is no longer simply how Kenya can complete the projects envisioned under Vision 2030.