Kenya Vision 2030 is the country’s development blueprint covering the period 2008 to 2030. It's objective is to help transform Kenya into a, “middle-income country providing a high quality life to all its citizens by the year 2030”. Developed through an all-inclusive and participatory stakeholder consultative process, the Vision is based on three “pillars”: the economic, the social and the political. This Vision's adoption comes after the successful implementation of the Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation (ERS), responsible for the country’s GDP growth from a low of 0.6% and gradual rise to 6.1% in 2006.
The Kenya Vision 2030 is to be implemented in successive five-year Medium-Term Plans, with the first such plan covering the period 2008–2012. At an appropriate stage, another five-year plan will be produced covering the period 2012 to 2017, and so on till 2030. As the country makes progress to middle-income status through these development plans, it is expected to have met its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) whose deadline is 2015. Some of the goals have already been met. The Vision 2030 spells out action that will be taken to achieve the rest.
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The Vision 2030 development process was launched by President Mwai Kibaki on 30 October 2006 when he instructed the National Vision Steering Committee to produce a medium-term plan with full details on the development programmes that would be implemented in the first five years after the ERS expires on 31 December 2007. A consultative approach was undertaken through workshops with stakeholders from all levels of the public service, the private sector, civil society, the media and NGOs while in rural areas, provincial consultative forums were also held throughout the country.
The objective of all these consultations was to provide an in-depth understanding of the country’s development problems and the necessary strategies to achieve the 2030 goals. Experts used the input from the above stakeholders and their own economic analysis to identify sectors with the most promising potential in driving Kenya’s economic growth up to 2030. This approach involved an assessment of two critical components:
A similar process and methodology was followed in identifying projects and priorities in the social and political pillars. Detailed analysis was carried out under a consultative process in order to come up with strategies capable of resolving the social and political problems that Kenyans face today. To arrive at workable solutions, the team of experts learnt as much as they could from countries that have achieved rapid growth and also improved the lives of their people greatly in a span of 20–30 years, with particular reference to the South East Asian newly industrialising countries. The standards achieved by those countries are ones Kenya should aim for, bearing in mind her own history and culture. The team made extensive use of information available from the Government, Kenya’s private sector, civil society and universities.
This aims to improve the prosperity of all Kenyans through an economic development programme, covering all the regions of Kenya. It aims to achieve an average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 10% per annum beginning in 2012. To achieve this target, Kenya is continuing with the tradition of macro-economic stability that has been established since 2002. It is also addressing other key constraints, notably, a low savings to GDP ratio, which can be alleviated by drawing in more remittances from Kenyans abroad, as well as increased foreign investment and overseas development assistance (ODA).
Delivering the country’s ambitious growth aspirations required a rise of national savings from 17% in 2006 to about 30% in 2012. It was also found necessary to deal with a significant informal economy employing 75% of the country’s workers. The informal sector is being supported in ways that will raise productivity and distribution and increase jobs, owner’s incomes and public revenues. The country is continuing with the governance and institutional reforms necessary to accelerate economic growth. Others critical problems being addressed include poor infrastructure and high energy costs. The six key sectors described below are being given priority as the key growth drivers for achievement of the economic vision:
Through this strategy, Kenya aims to build a just and cohesive society with social equity in a clean and secure environment. This strategy makes special provisions for Kenyans with various disabilities (PWDs) and previously marginalized communities. These policies (and those in the economic pillar) are equally anchored on an all-round adoption of science, technology and innovation (STI) as an implementation tool.
Key sectors:
This aims to realise 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. It hopes to transform Kenya into a state in which equality is entrenched, irrespective of one’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender or socio-economic status; a nation that respects and harnesses the diversity of its peoples’ values, traditions and aspirations for the benefit of all its citizens.
The political pillar vision for 2030 is “a democratic political system that is issue-based, people-centered, result-oriented and accountable to the public”. An issue-based system is one in which political differences are about means to meet the widest public interest. “People-centered” goals refer to the system’s responsiveness to the needs and rights of citizens, whose participation in all public policies and resource allocation processes is both fully appreciated and facilitated. A result-oriented system is stable, predictable and whose performance is based on measurable outcomes. An accountable system is one that is open and transparent and one that permits free flow of information. This vision is expected to guarantee Kenya’s attainment of the specific goals outlined under Vision 2030’s economic and social pillars
To meet objectives outlined in the economic and social pillars, Kenya’s national governance system is being transformed and reformed to acquire high-level executive capability consistent with a rapidly industrializing country. The country is adopting a democratic decentralization process with substantial devolution in policy-making, public resource management and revenue sharing through devolved funds. This has been achieved through a delivery of a new constitutional dispensation which came in effect in August 2010.
Transformation within Kenya’s political governance system under Vision 2030 is expected to take place across six strategic initiatives, whose overarching visions, goals and specific strategies for 2012 are as follows:
To ensure that economic, social and political governance gains made under the Vision are neither reversed nor lost as a result of change in ruling parties, the following eight governance principles will be adhered to:
A Semi Autonomous Government Agency (SAGA) with the requisite capacity has been established to oversee the implementation of all the Vision 2030 projects. The agency works closely in collaboration with government ministries and departments as well as the private sector, civil society and other relevant stakeholder groups. The strategies to deliver the 10% annual growth by 2012 is being executed through concrete flagship projects across the priority sectors in all the three pillars of the Vision. The projects are original large-scale initiatives that look beyond their immediate locality and are capable of having an impact on the entire nation. Flagship projects form part of the national development with complementary projects being undertaken in line with the Medium-Term Plans, the Budget Outlook Paper, and the Medium- Term Expenditure Framework.
During the life of the Vision, strategies and action plans are expected to be systematically reviewed and adjusted every 5 years in order to effectively respond to the changing global, regional and local environment. The Vision 2030 is being delivered over many different horizons and flagship projects, each with defined goals. Following the expiry of the ERS in December 2007, the first part of Vision 2030 is now being implemented under the 2008-2012 plan.
The Kenyan Government has created a Vision Delivery Secretariat (VDS), which provides strategic leadership and direction in the realization of the Vision 2030 goals to ensure the timely implementation of the flagship projects. The Secretariat is managed by the Director-General leading a team of four Directors and Secretariat members, under the overall guidance of the Vision 2030 Delivery Board that plays a policy-making and advisory role.