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What William Ruto said
Written from the verified transcript and checked against it. Every figure links to the moment it was said.
President William Ruto delivered a special State of the Nation Address proposing a national conversation to craft a new development charter to succeed Vision 2030, which he said is approaching its horizon and off target for making Kenya an upper middle-income country by 2030. He argued that Kenya missed three prior waves of economic transformation, citing GDP per capita comparisons: South Korea went from roughly $110 in 1965 to over $36,000 today versus Kenya's $2,400; China overtook Kenya from a lower base in 1980; Vietnam and Bangladesh surpassed Kenya; Ghana and Zimbabwe now have higher GDP per capita. He cited achievements: foreign exchange reserves rebuilt to over $15 billion, a record $3.2 billion in FDI last year, and Kenya ranked most competitive in Africa by IMD. He announced launching the national conversation on August 12, 2026, based on proposals from Professor Hiroyuki Hino and Professor Anyang' Nyong'o.
Key takeaways
Kenya will formally launch a national conversation on Kenya's future beyond Vision 2030 on August 12, 2026.
Vision 2030 is off target for achieving upper middle-income status by 2030.
Kenya attracted a record $3.2 billion in foreign direct investment last year, more than double the 2022 amount.
Foreign exchange reserves rebuilt to over $15 billion, providing six and a half months of import cover.
Kenya's GDP per capita is approximately $2,400, compared to South Korea's over $36,000, a 15-fold multiple.
It begins, or where it stands today, but by the future it has the courage to build. The history of global development teaches us vital lessons. Countries that were once poor can change their fortunes in just a generation. And those that stand still risk sliding backwards. It is time for us to raise the bar of our ambitions. To demand more of ourselves. To shape a new vision for Kenya. This is not the task for leaders alone. Neither is it for the government alone. It's a responsibility for Kenyans themselves. As the constitution commands, all sovereign powers belong to the people of Kenya and shall be underlined, the word 'in' shall. We the people shall take charge of the national conversation of our collective future together.
A nation is not ultimately defined by where it begins, or where it stands today, but by the future it has the courage to build. The history of global development teaches us vital lessons. Countries that were once poor can change their fortunes in just a generation. A nation is not ultimately defined by where it begins, or where it stands today, but by the future it has the courage to build. The history of global development teaches us vital lessons. Countries that were once poor can change their fortunes in just a generation. And those that stand still risk sliding backwards. It is time for us to raise the bar of our ambitions, to demand more of ourselves, to shape a new vision for Kenya. This is not the task for leaders alone. Neither is it for the government alone. It's a responsibility for Kenyans themselves. As the Constitution commands, all sovereign powers belong to the people of Kenya and shall be underlined, the word 'in' shall. Mandatory. We, the people, shall take charge of the national conversation of our collective future together.
A nation is not ultimately defined by where it begins, or where it stands today, but by the future it has the courage to build. The history of global development teaches us vital lessons. Countries that were once poor can change their fortunes in just a generation. And those that stand still risk sliding backwards. It is time for us to raise the bar of our ambitions, to demand more of ourselves, to shape a new vision for Kenya. This is not the task for leaders alone. Neither is it for the government alone. It's a responsibility for Kenyans themselves. As the Constitution commands, all sovereign powers belong to the people of Kenya and shall be underlined, the word 'in' shall. Mandatory. We the people shall take charge of the national conversation of our collective future together.
Ruto, W. (2026, July 30). LIVE: President Ruto's Special State of the Nation Address [Interview transcript]. Uzalendo News. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1150451/
MLA
William Ruto. "LIVE: President Ruto's Special State of the Nation Address." Uzalendo News, 30 Jul. 2026. Transcript, CEOInterviews.AI, https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1150451/.
BibTeX
@misc{ruto2026_1150451,
author = {William Ruto},
title = {LIVE: President Ruto's Special State of the Nation Address},
howpublished = {Interview transcript, Uzalendo News. CEOInterviews.AI},
year = {2026},
month = {jul},
url = {https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1150451/},
note = {Speaker-attributed transcript with timestamps}
}
