Ichung’wah: Kenyans have noticed Ruto’s first-world dream can be achieved in our lifetime
By Luke Oluoch, December 12, 2025National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has asserted that Kenyans are now believing in President William Ruto’s dream to transform the country more than ever before, including his ambitious vision of turning Kenya into a first-world nation.
Speaking on Friday, December 12, 2025, ahead of the Jamhuri Day celebrations, which are set to highlight Kenya’s global standing as a leading tourism hub, Ichung’wah stated that the country remains firmly on course to achieve the president’s transformative economic agenda.
Ichung’wah particularly praised President Ruto’s broader blueprint to grow the economy through domestic savings and homegrown investments, citing the ongoing efforts to raise funds through the privatisation of strategic state assets as a crucial step.
Achievable
“The Kenyan people are now seeing the journey from a developing (third-world) nation to a first-world country being achieved within our lifetime — just as President Ruto has always said. I am happy to note the positive engagement around infrastructure financing and how we can responsibly dispose of some underutilised assets to raise funds—such as shares in Safaricom — and channel those resources into critical projects in roads, agriculture, and support for regions that still depend heavily on relief and irrigation,” he said.
The Majority Leader also expressed optimism about President Ruto’s Jamhuri Day speech, saying he expects the Head of State to provide a clear roadmap for the remainder of his first term and beyond.
“I expect President Ruto to build on what he outlined during his recent State of the Nation Address. He has already spelled out his priorities for the remainder of this term, and today we expect to hear his long-term vision, how he intends to lead Kenya from a third-world to a first-world country, even beyond his tenure,” Ichung’wah added.
Kenya’s potential
His remarks come after Ruto reiterated that Kenya’s potentiality to attain first-world status in the next two decades is its citizens unite and focus on productivity.
According to Ruto, the country’s challenges stem not from a lack of resources but from internal divisions such as hatred, tribalism, and empty politics. which he claimed would be key to releasing the dream if eliminated.
“We can be a first-world country in the next 20 years if we do the right things, and I speak as the leader of this nation today. I want to ask the citizens of the Republic of Kenya: there is absolutely no reason why we are in the third world,” Ruto said.