VISION 2030: ARE WE ON TRACK?

By Franklin Mrata, Student | KCA University

On 10th June 2008, Vision 2030 was unveiled by then-President Mwai Kibaki. Built on the success of the Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation (2003–2007), it aimed to accelerate growth, reduce poverty, and transform Kenya into an industrialized, middle-income country by the year 2030. With only five years left on the clock, it’s time to assess how far we’ve come, what lies ahead, and what we should be looking forward to.

Vision 2030 is anchored on three key pillars: the Economic Pillar, the Social Pillar, and the Political Pillar. Having gone through a rollercoaster of achievements and setbacks, the Vision is fast approaching its final hour. So, where do we stand?

The Wins

Let’s begin with the wins. The completion of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in 2017 marked a major milestone. As a flagship project of Vision 2030, its implementation provided a sense of hope that the Vision was on course. Other notable achievements include the expansion of major highways and bypasses, growth in renewable energy via the Lake Turkana Wind Farm and Olkaria Geothermal Plant, and advances in digital services.

The Stumbles

Despite these successes, the Economic Pillar has struggled to maintain momentum. One of Vision 2030’s goals was to fully industrialize the Kenyan economy. However, the country remains overly reliant on processing industries, with most of the manufacturing still done abroad. This is a major bottleneck in achieving our industrialization goals.

Several flagship projects have faced delays, budget constraints, or have stalled altogether. Konza Technopolis, nicknamed the “Silicon Savannah,” remains largely incomplete, only a few buildings stand amidst vacant lots. The LAPSSET Corridor project, which was envisioned as a transformative infrastructural network, is still mostly on paper. Lamu Port has only completed 3 out of the planned 23 berths. Even the SGR, hailed as the crown jewel, has yet to proceed to its next phase.

The Real Issues

So, what’s holding us back? Kenya continues to grapple with chronic issues like corruption, mismanagement of funds, and weak governance—challenges that have lingered since independence. But beyond these, there's a toxic blend of over-ambition and poor planning. Limited resources and underdeveloped financial strategies have led to stalled projects and undercooked rollouts seen in initiatives like the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), affordable housing schemes, and the new Social Health Insurance Fund.

Often, we rush to launch massive initiatives for political mileage, neglecting crucial groundwork. Poor execution has silently become a major threat to Kenya’s development. We begin with excitement, invest heavily, encounter predictable challenges, then quietly abandon projects leaving behind ghost infrastructure and wasted potential.

What Next?

It is increasingly unlikely that Vision 2030 will be fully realized within the remaining timeframe. However, development has no deadline, and the same goes for education and national growth. We must learn from our missteps. If we embrace better planning, accountability, and execution, we can still achieve the goals envisioned, if not by 2030, then soon after.

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Franklin Mrata is a Journalism and Digital Media student at KCA University.