Kindiki: Kenya can attain First-World status within a generation

Speaking at the 14th Development Partners Forum 2026 in Karen, Nairobi, Prof. Kindiki said Kenya’s aspirations are neither unrealistic nor unprecedented, pointing to countries such as South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore as examples of nations that successfully made similar transitions within a few decades.

“Our next vision is clear: to transform Kenya into a first-world economy within a generation. There is absolutely no reason why Kenya cannot do it,” he said.

The Deputy President affirmed that the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) remains the government’s core development blueprint, dismissing claims that it has been sidelined. 

He said the agenda is firmly anchored on people, partnerships and technology as the pillars of Kenya’s future growth.

“People must remain at the centre of development planning. Technology will accelerate our transformation, and partnerships will mobilise the resources we need to achieve our national ambitions,” Prof. Kindiki said.

He identified agriculture as the fastest and most effective pathway to lifting millions of Kenyans out of poverty, noting that the government is making heavy investments in water harvesting, irrigation and storage to make the sector reliable, productive and employment-generating.

According to Prof. Kindiki, the State is constructing mega and medium dams, alongside more than a thousand water pans across the country, with the aim of bringing an additional 2.5 million acres under irrigation.

On infrastructure, the Deputy President said roads, railways, ports, airports and energy projects are not just enablers of growth but direct drivers of jobs and industrial expansion. He stressed that Kenya must modernise its infrastructure at a faster pace to match its economic ambitions.

“If we move at the old pace, we will not reach where Kenya must go,” he said.

Prof. Kindiki also announced progress towards establishing a Sovereign Wealth Fund, which he said will help cushion the economy, finance long-term infrastructure and safeguard future generations from mismanagement of mineral and oil revenues. 

He added that through the infrastructure fund, Kenya is mobilising capital via financial markets, public-private partnerships and private investment to sustainably finance national transformation.

He underscored the importance of national security, warning that without long-term stability, economic gains could easily be reversed. 

Integrity, the rule of law, justice and national unity, he added, are not optional but foundational to Kenya’s transformation.

The Deputy President further highlighted investments in education, research and innovation, revealing that research funding has been increased to two per cent of GDP to ensure innovation drives the country’s future economy and job creation.

Addressing development partners, Prof. Kindiki said all programmes must align with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, not as a procedural requirement but as a response to the priorities of Kenyans.

 He noted that some programmes would be realigned, renegotiated or retired to fast-track transformation.

“Transformation must happen now, not tomorrow,” he said.

He also pointed to the NYOTA programme as a key youth-focused intervention, saying it is designed to enhance employability, entrepreneurship, skills development and a savings culture among young people, empowering them to drive Kenya’s economic transformation.