Nairobi — Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o has called for an inclusive national conversation on Kenya's long-term development future, warning against allowing electoral cycles to disrupt the country's development plans.
Nyong'o said the conversation should look beyond the 2027 General Election and focus on establishing a clear national development direction that can guide Kenya beyond the expiry of Vision 2030.
Speaking during a national development dialogue, the governor said the country must give itself enough time to have a broad and inclusive discussion on its future.
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"Despite the fact that general elections are due in just about a year, this conversation is not about the next general elections," Nyong'o said.
He argued that long-term development goals should not be disrupted by electoral cycles or changes in political leadership.
"This meeting is therefore the first step in a journey that must not be rushed. Let us give ourselves reasonable time to have an inclusive conversation among Kenyans regarding the future of our nation," he said.
The governor said Kenya is operating in an increasingly uncertain global environment characterised by economic and political fragmentation.
According to Nyong'o, geopolitical tensions are creating new challenges for countries and putting pressure on the multilateral system established after the Second World War.
"Globally, we are faced with new realities in economic and political fragmentation of the multilateral system established after the Second World War," he said.
He added that geopolitical tensions have brought crises to different parts of the world, creating an urgent need for Kenya to consider how it can protect its development trajectory from external and domestic disruptions.
"It is high time we began a conversation on how we escape the disruptions of development in the decades ahead," Nyong'o said.
Nyong'o identified the future of Kenya's national development planning after 2030 as one of the key reasons for starting the conversation now.
Vision 2030 has guided Kenya's development planning since 2008, providing a long-term framework under which successive administrations have implemented economic, social and political programmes.
However, Nyong'o questioned what should happen after 2027 and beyond the Vision 2030 framework.
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He warned that simply introducing another five-year development plan without first agreeing on a broader national destination could leave Kenya trapped in a cycle of short-term programmes and projects.
"Vision 2030 has guided our country since 2008, but what happens after 2027?" Nyong'o posed.
He argued that Kenya needs to establish a clear long-term national direction before developing another series of medium-term plans.
"If Kenya simply develops another five-year plan without agreeing on the country's long-term destination beyond 2030, our planning process risks becoming another cycle of programmes and projects without a sufficiently clear national direction," he said.
Nyong'o stressed that the proposed conversation should not be driven by the 2027 political contest.
Instead, he called for an inclusive process that brings Kenyans together to discuss the country's long-term aspirations and development priorities.
The governor said the process should be given adequate time to ensure that different views are considered before a national direction is agreed upon.
His remarks come as Kenya prepares for the 2027 General Election, which is expected to bring changes in political leadership at both national and county levels.
Nyong'o maintained that development planning should transcend individual administrations and electoral cycles.
The proposed national conversation could therefore provide a platform for Kenyans to consider the country's development priorities beyond the immediate political calendar and establish a framework that successive governments can work towards.
