Kenya should not wait for Vision 2030 to expire before deciding its next course of development, Kisumu Governor Peter Anyang' Nyong'o has said, defending the ongoing work to craft Vision 2060 despite growing criticism over the timing of the initiative.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday, Nyong'o said the proposed blueprint is designed to guide Kenya's development over the next three decades and provide a clear direction after Vision 2030 comes to an end. The governor, who leads the working group on Kenya's transition to first-world status, said long-term planning is necessary if the country is to maintain steady progress.
Nyong'o noted that the proposal draws from the experience of developing Vision 2030, a process he was involved in while serving as Minister for Planning and National Development following the 2002 General Election.
"We are looking further than 2030," he said, noting that the current blueprint is nearing its end. "We need to have a vision."
He explained that the proposed Vision 2060 is built around three key areas that should guide Kenya's future. These are a democratic political system, a strong and growing economy, and a society where development and opportunities are shared fairly across the country.
"I could put the plan on three pillars really – political, economic and social," he said, adding that both the national and county governments would have responsibilities in delivering the vision.
Nyong'o stressed that the document is intended to be a national plan rather than a government project, saying it should be shaped through contributions from Kenyans across different sectors. He said political parties, faith-based organisations, interest groups and ordinary citizens would all have a chance to give their views before the final document is adopted.
"The people must be engaged. You can't have a vision in which people are not engaged," he said.
Addressing questions over the target of unveiling the blueprint before the end of 2026, Nyong'o admitted the timeline would be demanding but maintained that public participation and improvements to the document could continue during the process.
"We are ready to launch it," he said. "It's very ambitious, but if you're not ambitious, you cannot achieve much."
He also rejected claims that work on Vision 2060 should wait until a full assessment of Vision 2030 is completed, saying both exercises can move forward together without affecting each other.
"We need to have an audit definitely," he said when asked about evaluating Vision 2030. "Nothing stops us from doing that... sort it out at the same time and look ahead."
Nyong'o estimated that Vision 2030 had achieved about 80 per cent of its targets, pointing to democratic gains, devolution and economic growth among its successes. He, however, said inadequate funding had prevented full implementation of some programmes and called for greater focus on attracting investment under the next development plan.
On artificial intelligence, Nyong'o said the working group had not discussed the subject in detail but insisted the blueprint would remain open to review as new ideas emerge during nationwide consultations.
"We are flexible," he said. "What we have put in the public domain is for discussion; it's not to impose the ideas on the people."
Even so, the proposal has continued to draw mixed reactions. Some politicians, analysts and members of the public have questioned the decision to begin preparing Vision 2060 before an independent review of Vision 2030 is carried out.
Others argue that launching a new 30-year development agenda before the 2027 General Election could make it difficult to build broad national support, with fears that the process could become politically charged instead of remaining a shared national project.
There have also been calls for the government to first deal with immediate challenges, including public debt, the rising cost of living and governance concerns, before introducing another long-term development strategy. Human rights organisations have also maintained that any future national blueprint should be anchored on accountability, constitutionalism and the protection of civil liberties