Architect of Kenya's Vision 2030 Defends New Blueprint Despite Missing Audit

Kenya is preparing to launch a new 30-year national development blueprint, Vision 2060, even as questions persist over the government's failure to publicly evaluate whether many of the goals set under Vision 2030 were achieved.

• Kisumu Governor Professor Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, who led the team that designed Vision 2030 and now chairs the working group behind its successor, said the new strategy was ready for launch once approved by President William Ruto.
• But in an interview, Prof Nyong'o acknowledged that while individual government programmes have been reviewed over the years, there has been no single comprehensive public audit of Vision 2030 before work began on its replacement. 
• He rated Vision 2030's implementation at about 80% and cited devolution, democratic reforms and economic expansion as major achievements.

"The plan is ready to launch," Prof. Nyong'o said, adding that the government intends to unveil it before the end of 2026. He described Vision 2060 as a framework built around political, economic and social transformation aimed at turning Kenya into a prosperous, first-world economy over the next three decades. 

The proposal comes four years before Vision 2030 reaches its target date, with critics questioning whether a new national blueprint should precede an official assessment of the previous one.

Pressed on the issue, Nyong'o said the government could evaluate Vision 2030 while simultaneously developing its successor, arguing that the two processes were not mutually exclusive.  He also acknowledged shortcomings, including inadequate financing and the need for stronger coordination between the national and county governments under the next plan. 

The discussion around Vision 2060 has also exposed the challenge of planning for a rapidly changing global economy.

Nyong'o acknowledged that the current draft does not substantially address artificial intelligence, despite its growing influence on education, healthcare, governance and employment. He said the proposal remained flexible and could be amended following public consultations.

"I myself don't know so much about artificial intelligence," he said, adding that specialists should help refine the document once it enters public debate.