President William Ruto has set August 12, 2026 as the date Kenya will begin a nationwide public consultation to chart the country's future beyond Vision 2030, unveiling a plan to develop a new long-term national blueprint that he said will be built by citizens and not political leaders.
Addressing the nation from State House, Nairobi on Thursday, the President said the consultations will lay the foundation for a national development charter that will guide Kenya's economic and social progress for decades. He said the process is intended to unite Kenyans behind a shared vision of building a prosperous, high-income and globally competitive country while giving full effect to the aspirations contained in the Constitution.
Ruto said the exercise will be one of the country's biggest public participation processes since the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.
"Accordingly, on Wednesday, the 12th of August, 2026, we shall formally launch a national conversation on Kenya's future beyond Vision 2030, the most consequential exercise in national reflection and public participation since the promulgation of our Constitution in 2010," Ruto said.
The President said Kenya must openly examine why many countries that once shared similar economic conditions have advanced faster despite starting from nearly the same point.
He observed that Kenya and South Korea each had a GDP per capita of about 110 US dollars in 1965, yet South Korea's has since grown to about 36,000 dollars while Kenya's stands at about 2,400 dollars. He also pointed to China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Ghana as examples of nations that have transformed their economies through deliberate long-term planning.
"The question we must ask ourselves candidly and honestly is why other nations have fulfilled so much of their potential, while we have repeatedly fallen short," he said.
Even with those past setbacks, Ruto said the country is now entering a stronger economic position after overcoming global financial pressures over the last four years.
"We have restored macroeconomic stability. We have stabilized our currency. We have rebuilt our foreign exchange reserves to over 15 billion US dollars, providing six and a half months of import cover. Inflation has fallen. Borrowing costs have declined. Investor confidence has returned," he said.
The President said Kenya attracted a record 3.2 billion US dollars in foreign direct investment last year and earned recognition as Africa's most competitive economy in the 2025 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking. According to him, those gains have created the right environment for the country's next stage of development.
He said the government has also established the National Infrastructure Fund and the Sovereign Wealth Fund to finance strategic investments and safeguard national wealth for future generations.
While praising the contribution made by Vision 2030 over the years, Ruto acknowledged that some of its targets, including achieving upper-middle-income status by 2030, remain out of reach.
"This is not a criticism of Vision 2030, nor is it a reason for disappointment. Rather, it is an opportunity to proudly learn from our successes, reflect with honesty on where we have fallen short, and define together Kenya's next long-term vision," he said.
The President said the next development agenda must be firmly rooted in the Constitution, adding that Article 43 should guide efforts to improve access to healthcare, housing, food, water, education and social security.
"Development, therefore, is not simply a policy preference of those who govern. It is a constitutional imperative for the governed," Ruto said.
Ruto maintained that the new national charter should emerge from broad public engagement rather than government or political leadership alone.
"A national development charter... cannot be designed by politicians alone, nor by any single institution, profession, or interest group; it must be shaped by the people of Kenya themselves through an open, inclusive, and honest national conversation," he said.
He disclosed that consultations have already been held with current and former leaders, scholars, business executives, faith leaders, professionals, civil society organisations and young people before receiving recommendations from a team led by Professor Hiroyuki Hino on Kenya's long-term transformation.
According to the President, the national discussions beginning next month will bring together political parties, county governments, universities, professional bodies, private sector players, faith organisations, innovators, civil society groups and young people to help shape the country's next development agenda.
"The future of Kenya is too important to be left to politicians alone. It must be imagined, shaped, and built by each one and all of us," he said.
Ruto urged Kenyans to embrace the consultations as an opportunity to agree on a common national direction that goes beyond election cycles and short-term politics.
"In 2010, we gave ourselves a Constitution worthy of our dreams. The task of our generation is to build a nation worthy of that Constitution," Ruto said.