He made the announcement during the State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday, November 20, 2025.
The President explained four main areas that will guide the country’s long-term growth: human capital, agriculture, energy, and transport infrastructure.
Ruto began by talking about human capital, which he described as the heart of national progress.
He said Kenya has increased its education budget from Ksh490 billion in 2021 to over Ksh700 billion in 2025.
The money has been used to improve school infrastructure, hire more teachers, and support important reforms.
To help young people learn more about science and technology, the government has created a new State Department for Science, Research and Innovation.
The President also promised to raise funding for research from 0.8 percent of the GDP to 2 percent.
The second part of the plan focuses on agriculture. Ruto said Kenya imports food worth about Ksh500 billion every year, which is too high for a country with large farming potential.
He announced a major irrigation project that includes 50 mega dams, 200 medium and small dams, and thousands of micro-dams.
The goal is to bring 2.5 million acres under irrigation within five to seven years. He said this will change dry areas into productive farming zones and also support agro-industries in different regions.
Ruto then turned to the energy sector. He said Kenya needs more power to support digital services, factories, electric transport, and new technologies.
The country currently produces about 2,300MW, which is not enough. His plan aims to add 10,000MW of new power using Kenya’s strong renewable resources such as geothermal, wind, solar, and hydro.
The transport and infrastructure pillar is the largest and most ambitious. Ruto said the government wants to upgrade 2,500 kilometres of highways for dualling and tarmac 28,000 kilometres of new roads in the next 10 years.
Key roads across all regions are included in the plan. The government will also modernise Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the ports of Mombasa and Lamu, and address challenges facing Kenya Airways.
In January 2026, work will begin to extend the Standard Gauge Railway from Naivasha to Kisumu and later to Malaba.
Ruto said the Ksh5 trillion plan may look expensive, but it is necessary for Kenya’s future. He called it the duty of the current generation to push the country forward.
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