President William Ruto has challenged Kenyan leaders to stop allowing election politics to shape long-term national decisions, saying the country risks missing important development goals when leaders focus more on political survival than the needs of future generations.
Ruto said successive governments had often planned with the next election in mind instead of making choices that would benefit Kenyans in the years ahead.
The President spoke on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, during the launch of nationwide public consultations on the proposed Vision 2060 development framework, which is expected to succeed Vision 2030.
He said Kenya’s long-term development plans had been affected by political pressure, with leaders sometimes avoiding difficult decisions because of fears that such moves could hurt their chances in the next election.
“The reason why we have not achieved some of our targets, we have made our plans not with the foresight of the future, not thinking about the next generation but the next election,” Ruto said.
The President called for a change in how Kenyans view elections, saying political contests should not be treated as matters that determine the country’s future.
“Kenya is bigger than any elections. For far too long, we have made elections look like it is a matter of life and death. It is not,” he said.
Ruto said leaders are regularly pushed to drop p
President William Ruto addressing the crowd at the launch of nationwide public consultations on the proposed Vision 2060 at KICC, Nairobi on August 12, 2026.
PHOTO/PCS
olicies or delay decisions that may be good for the country but could carry a political cost.
“I speak from a position of knowledge and experience. It is not always that you become the president of a country. I am privileged to be president,” he said.
He said his experience as President had exposed him to the pressure leaders face when they have to choose between what they believe is right for the country and what could protect their political interests.
“The pressure you have, even when you know as a leader this is the right thing to do, you are told always this will affect you next election, do not do it,” Ruto said.
The President said he had also received advice to put aside some development decisions and concentrate on securing the next election.
“Many tell me; why can’t you concentrate on the next election? Leave this thing, it can be done another time,” he said.
Ruto, however, said Kenya’s future should not be shaped by the timing of elections, arguing that political contests are temporary while the country remains.
“I want to tell them, the next election will come and go but Kenya will remain. Kenya must think beyond the next election, Kenya must think for the next generation,” he said.
His remarks came as the government began nationwide consultations on Vision 2060, a proposed long-term development framework intended to take over from Vision 2030.
The new framework is expected to set out a long-term plan for Kenya’s economic and infrastructure development, extending beyond the current development blueprint and providing direction for the country over several decades.
The consultation process will seek views from Kenyans across the country as part of efforts to develop a people-driven National Development Charter.