President William Ruto’s ambitious plan to transform Kenya from a third-world economy into a first-world nation has undergone multiple revisions in both timelines and structure within a short period, raising fresh questions about the pace and direction of the journey.
In just over two months, the timelines for the much-touted “Road to Singapore” vision have shifted at least three times. The latest pronouncement by the president now suggests that Kenya will be halfway toward achieving first-world status by next year.
The plan, anchored on a Ksh.5 trillion economic transformation programme, has also seen changes to its core pillars, reflecting an evolving strategy as the government refines its development priorities.
Speaking on December 16, 2025, during the Tobong’u Lore cultural celebrations in Turkana County, President Ruto expressed confidence in the plan’s feasibility, dismissing critics who have labelled it unrealistic.
“I want to say here in Turkana that this Ksh.5 trillion plan started yesterday, and by next year we will be halfway there. Some people say it cannot be done,” the president said.
Ruto defended his vision by citing past infrastructure successes, pointing to the completion of major road projects that were once considered impossible.
“Did they not say the road from Kitale would never be built? Didn’t we build it? Is it true or not?” he posed to the crowd.
Just a month earlier, while addressing Parliament during his State of the Nation Address on November 20, 2025, President Ruto had presented a more measured timeline. He stated that the four key pillars underpinning his economic empowerment agenda would take 10 years to fully implement.
“To scale up our transport and logistics programme, the Ministry of Roads and Transport has mapped out a comprehensive network of 2,500 kilometres of highways for dualling and 28,000 kilometres of roads to be tarmacked over the next 10 years,” the president told lawmakers.
However, this marked a significant shift from an earlier projection made two months before that. On October 12, 2025, President Ruto had indicated that Kenya’s journey to first-world status would take approximately 30 years, with the target year set at 2055.
Further adjustments emerged during the 62nd Jamhuri Day celebrations, when the president revised the number of pillars anchoring the transformation agenda from four to three, signalling another strategic recalibration of the plan.
The repeated changes in timelines and structure underscore both the ambition and fluidity of the president’s development vision. As Kenya grapples with economic realities, infrastructure demands and public expectations, the key question remains: how long will it truly take for the country to complete its journey to “Singapore status”?
