On 30 October 2006, the then President, Mwai Kibaki instructed the National Vision Steering Committee to produce a plan with details on the development programmes that would be implemented in the first five years after the Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation (ERS) expires on 31 December 2007. The ERS had seen Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product grow from less than 1 percent in 2002 to over 6 percent in 2006.
In a view to understand the country’s problems and how best to solve them, consultations with stakeholders ranging from the civil society, the media, the NGOs, the public sector to the private sector were held. Thereafter, the input by these sectors were analysed by professionals and, sectors which would drive the country’s economic growth up to 2030 were identified. As a result, Kenya Vision 2030 strategy was formed.
Kenya Vision 2030, launched on 28 June 2008, is the country’s long term development blueprint covering the period 2008 to 2030. It aims to transform the country into a newly industrialising, middle-income (income exceeding Kshs. 1,000,000) country providing a high quality life to all its citizens by the year 2030. Apart from the all-inclusive and participatory stakeholder consultative development process involving Kenyans from all parts of the country, the vision has also benefited from suggestions by leading local and international experts on how the newly industrialising countries around the world have made the leap from poverty to widely-shared prosperity and equity.
The objectives of the vision are:
• To create a globally competitive and prosperous country with a high quality of life by 2030.
• To transform Kenya into a newly – industrializing, middle – income country providing a high quality of life to its citizens in a clean and secure environment.
• To aspire to meet the Millennium Development Goals for Kenya by 2015.
The Vision 2030 focuses on reforms and development in eight key sectors. These are the foundations of the vision and include:
• Continuity in Governance reforms;
• Energy
• Enhanced Equity and wealth creation opportunities for the poor;
• Human Resources Development;
• Infrastructure;
• Land Reform;
• Macroeconomic stability for long-term development;
• Science, Technology and Innovation;
• Security; and
• Timely Justice.
The Vision is based upon three pillars:
Economic
The aim is to improve the prosperity of all Kenyans through an economic development programme, covering all the regions of the country. An average GDP growth rate of 10% per annum should be achieved. However, this has not happened. This pillar also addresses the low savings to GDP ratio by recommending the drawing of more remittances from Kenyans living abroad as well as increasing foreign investment and overseas development assistance.
The six sectors that are key for the economic growth are:
• A better and more inclusive wholesale and retail trade sector;
• Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and IT services;
• Financial Services;
• Increasing value in Agriculture;
• Manufacturing for the regional market; and
• Tourism.
Social
This pillar aims to build a just and cohesive society with social equity in a clean and secure environment. The key sectors here are:
• Education and Training;
• Equity and Poverty Elimination;
• Gender, Youth and Vulnerable groups;
• Housing and Urbanisation;
• Reconciliation;
• The Environment;
• The Health System; and
• Water and Sanitation.
Political
The aim of this pillar is to realize a democratic political system founded on issue-based politics that respects the rule of law, and protects the rights and freedoms of every individual in Kenyan society. The key sectors under this pillar are:
• Democracy and public service delivery;
• Electoral and political processes;
• Rule of law;
• Security, peace building and conflict management; and
• Transparency and accountability.
The Vision depends on the following governance principles to be adhered to so that the economic, social and political governance gains made are neither reversed nor lost regardless of the Government in power:
• The respect of the supremacy of the constitution at all times;
• The acknowledgement of the sovereignty of the people by any Government;
• Equal treatment of all women and men regardless of ancestral origin, gender, race, religion or tribe;
• The formulation and adoption of core set values, goals and political ideology supportive of Vision 2030 by all Kenyans.
• A strong and viable political party system that will be guided by policy and ideological differences rather than region of ethnicity;
• Public participation in Governance;
• Separation of Powers of the three arms of Government (the Executive, the Judiciary and Legislature); and
• Devolution.
