President William Ruto has repeated his pledge to move Kenya from a developing nation to a first-world country, saying his administration is preparing proposals that will soon go to Parliament.

Speaking during a church service at the African Divine Church in Gamalenga, Vihiga County, on Sunday, November 2, 2025, Ruto said the plan will focus on infrastructure, energy, and agriculture.

He told worshippers that Kenya must think big if it hopes to transform its economy within a generation.

“This country is going to move from a third-world country to a first-world country because we have the vision for it,” he said. “We will be presenting proposals to Parliament in the next few weeks on how to move Kenya from a third-world country to a first-world country.”

Ruto said Kenya needs about Ksh4 trillion to fund key sectors that will support growth and reduce dependence on imports. He broke down the figure, saying the country needs about Ksh1.5 trillion for roads, rail and airports, another Ksh1.5 trillion for energy, and a further Ksh1.5 trillion for agriculture and irrigation projects.

“Four trillion shillings is possibly the money we need to be able to move our nation from importing food to exporting products,” he said.

Also watch: Ruto vows to transform Kenya into a first-world country.

He insisted the government does not need to increase taxes to raise the money.

“To raise that money, we do not have to increase taxes, we do not have to do anything extra. Ni akili inahitajika.”

Driving Kenya’s future

Ruto said the government plans to bring two million acres under irrigation and ensure regions are well connected through improved transport networks. He added that Kenya can achieve first-world status in 20 to 30 years if it remains focused.

He has repeated similar remarks in recent weeks. While launching Phase One infrastructure works at Konza Technopolis in October, Ruto outlined three priorities: expanding power generation, improving irrigation, and investing in transport systems.

He said Kenya needs an extra 10,000 megawatts of electricity within five to seven years at a cost of about Ksh1 trillion, and promised 50 mega-dams to support large-scale irrigation.

Ruto compared Kenya’s ambition to countries like Singapore and South Korea, saying they made bold decisions decades ago and are now global economic leaders. He urged leaders to support the plan, saying Kenya cannot “remain a third-world country forever” and must “raise the bar” to power its future.

As the plan heads to Parliament, debate is likely to centre on funding, timelines, and whether the government can deliver the mega-projects without raising taxes.