Thank you so much, Your Excellency. For perspective, allow me to ground these reflections in our national experience as Kenya. When many think of Kenya, including I'm sure many in this audience, one of the things that comes to mind is extraordinary wildlife or world-class athletes. And while this is true, it's only part of the story. Kenya is indeed a land of remarkable beauty, the cradle of humankind, and the origin of wonder. That is why we say, 'Whenever you come from wherever, you don't simply visit Kenya. You come back home.'
But Kenya is far more than this. It is a dynamic, forward-looking nation at the center of Africa's transformation. Situated along the Indian Ocean in East Africa, Kenya occupies a strategic position at the crossroads of global trade routes linking Africa to Asia and Europe. With a population of over 55 million, predominantly young, educated, and ambitious, and one of the most diversified economies in our region, Kenya is charting a deliberate and confident path forward anchored in resilience and reform. Through deliberate and at times difficult, but necessary policy choices, we have transformed Kenya into the sixth largest economy in Africa. We've strengthened our foreign exchange reserves, stabilized our currency, reduced inflation, and restored investor confidence as reflected in the recent upgrade of our credit rating as a nation.
For too long, we, especially in leadership, have tolerated the average. And by so doing, constrained our ambition. But that era has come to an end. Today, we are raising the scale of our ambition with a clear objective to transform Kenya into a first-world economy within our lifetime. And we are doing this through three critical priority pillars.
First, we are undertaking a rapid expansion of critical transport and connectivity infrastructure, including 28,000 km of road, new airports, and seaports. And over the decade, we have committed to more than doubling our paved road network, modernizing our airports and ports and logistics hubs, because we recognize that connectivity is the backbone of economic transformation.
Second, we are strengthening our export-led agricultural transformation and food security system through large-scale irrigation anchored in the construction of at least 50 mega dams to bring over 2.5 million acres of land into productive use. Indeed, a key outcome of my visit to Italy is to advance the development of at least three of these strategic projects.
Third, we are working to more than triple our installed electricity capacity within the next 7 years to uptake modern technology, power industrial growth, and sustain economic expansion. Industrialization requires energy that is reliable, affordable, and sufficient to match the pace of enterprise.
In a world as disrupted as the one we have, we must ask ourselves, 'What defines a truly capable state?' My proposition is that it rests on at least five core attributes: responsiveness, collaboration, innovation, resilience, and ambition. A responsive state listens and acts with clarity and speed. A collaborative state recognizes that no nation succeeds alone and must therefore cultivate partnerships and alliances. An innovative state does not merely regulate technology. It harnesses it to deliver better outcomes. A resilient state absorbs shocks and continues to function even in the face of disruption. Above all, a capable state defines the scale of its future and sets its ambition accordingly. Because no nation rises beyond the reach of its vision.
Kenya is equally a vibrant democracy grounded in constitutional governance and active civic participation. Our institutions continue to deepen accountability and to uphold the rule of law. Something we are very, very proud of, and we share in common with Italy as you celebrate your 80th Independence Day. Yet, our greatest strength lies in our people. Innately curious, deeply creative, and highly adaptable, and also consistently competitive on the global stage. Whenever opportunity arises, Kenyans rise to meet it with distinction and purpose.
Kenya is also home to one of the most technologically advanced populations in our continent. As Africa's Silicon Savannah, it is a hub of innovation where digital solutions are developed and scaled for real-world impact. From a mobile finance platform such as M-Pesa to digital public services, innovation in Kenya is practical, inclusive, and transformative. We recognize that citizens experience the state through service delivery. We are therefore redesigning government systems to be more accessible, more transparent, and responsive through digital transformation.
Yet, progress alone is not transformation. To assume that we need only to maintain the status quo would be a profound miscalculation and a dangerous complacency. Over the past 3 years, we have made significant strides towards universal health coverage. I'll give you an example. In 2023, that's 3 years ago, fewer than 8 million Kenyans had access to publicly funded health insurance. Today, that number has increased nearly fourfold, from 8 million to 30 million.
In housing, we are advancing an ambitious program to expand access to affordable and modern homes, with over 240,000 units currently under construction, and a pipeline of 700,000 units driving job creation, economic activity, and improved living standards. In education, we have undertaken comprehensive reforms to expand access and enhance quality, including the transition to a competence-based education and training system aligned with the demands of a rapidly evolving world.
The transition to clean energy offers a pathway to industrialization, to job creation, energy security, and long-term competitiveness. It is about building new industries. It's about modern energy systems and resilient economies. An entirely new growth model anchored in sustainability. Africa is not standing still. Kenya provides a very clear illustration of what is possible. Today, over 90% of our electricity in Kenya is generated from clean energy sources. We are a global leader in geothermal power. With projects such as Olkaria, placing Kenya among the top producers worldwide of geothermal energy. We have also made sustained investments in wind and solar, including the Lake Turkana wind power project, one of the largest on the continent, as well as continued expansion of solar generation. These investments are not only reducing emissions, they are powering industry, lowering costs, and strengthening energy security.
Across Africa, similar efforts are underway scaling renewable energy, advancing green industrialization, and strengthening climate resilience across agriculture, infrastructure, and livelihoods. These are deliberate steps to reposition Africa as not just a victim of climate, but to be a driver of global solutions. But Africa cannot do this alone. The international community must now match ambition with delivery. Climate leadership must be measured not by declarations that we make, but by results. This requires a fundamental shift, reforming financial systems, scaling up climate finance, and ensuring equitable access to investment.
We are adopting innovative financing models anchored in partnership. We're identifying commercially viable public projects and working with both domestic and international private sector partners to bring them to fruition, creating a genuine win-win outcome. Sustainable returns for investors and improved services for citizens without necessarily imposing additional strain on public debt or taxation. Public-private partnership has become a cornerstone of our development paradigm. Through our national infrastructure fund and sovereign wealth fund, we are mobilizing public and private, domestic and foreign, capital for finance, especially for major priority projects. And we have a portfolio of close to 40 billion euros of projects over the next 7 years.
Mr. President, distinguished guests, Kenya's national aspirations are inseparable from the destiny of Africa. We are living through a period in which many of the certainties that have defined global order for decades, including multilateral institutions, predictable trade systems, and a long-standing security alliance, are today faltering. Conflict has returned to the center of international affairs, from Ukraine in recent years to the Middle East in recent weeks. Trade routes have assumed new strategic significance, as reflected in the rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Security, meanwhile, is no longer confined to territorial borders. It is now extending into cyberspace, energy systems, and critical infrastructure. At the same time, technological change is advancing at a pace that governance systems are struggling to match. Climate pressures are no longer projections. They are an immediate and lived reality for hundreds of millions across the world.
We must recall the solemn commitment that gave rise to the United Nations 80 decades ago, which said to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice brought untold suffering to humanity. That commitment, 'never again,' was not a mere slogan. It was a covenant with humanity. I wish to reiterate the following, and mark my words. When power begins to outweigh principle, when established norms lose their authority, when might is allowed to define right, and when the international community stands divided or paralyzed in the face of aggression, we move dangerously close to the precipice of global disorder and anarchy. This is a future that we must collectively and decisively reject.
