As Kenya draws closer to the end of its current strategic blueprint, Vision 2030, it’s clear that the country stands at a crossroads. The vision was developed to transform Kenya into a competitive, industrializing middle-income economy. While it laid important groundwork, especially in infrastructure development, there is a need to take stock of our performance, evaluate whether it has been an effective tool for guiding the country’s development, and effectively plan for the next plan. Whilst there is no indication as to when this will be done, what is clear is that the next plan should be anchored on coordinated and sustainable infrastructure investment.
In the last two decades, the country has made significant progress in infrastructure development. Road infrastructure has improved, with major projects like the Thika Superhighway and Nairobi’s bypasses easing congestion. Air transport has also been upgraded, with key expansions at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the rise of regional airports in Kisumu and Isiolo. The construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) linking Mombasa to Nairobi and then to Naivasha was a game-changer, cutting transport costs and reducing travel time. In the energy sector, Kenya has not only expanded its generation capacity but also enhanced the generation of clean energy from geothermal, solar, and wind. According to the World Bank, access to electricity rose from 30% in 2003 to 75% in 2023, marking an important milestone that has opened new opportunities for millions of households and businesses
Despite the progress made, the journey has been marred by a myriad of challenges. Poor infrastructure investment decisions, budget deficits, political interference, inflation, election-related violence, and forex fluctuations have made it difficult to achieve the targets. High public borrowing has pushed Kenya’s debt beyond acceptable limits; some projects have been completed at exorbitant budgets, while some contractors remain unpaid to date. The country is still battling with inadequate power transmission and distribution infrastructure, lack of access to clean water and sanitation services, and a lack of quality health care, among others.
Looking ahead, Kenya requires a more coordinated and structured infrastructure investment strategy anchored on empirical studies and data analysis. There is a need for the country to undertake an extensive countrywide infrastructure needs assessment, starting at the grassroots level and extending to the national level. A county-level focus will help tailor investments to where they are needed most. At the same time, Kenya should find ways to maximize the benefits of strategic infrastructure, for example, the port of Mombasa, the JKIA airport, and Lake Victoria, to optimize economic empowerment. Counties should also be encouraged to work together on joint projects, which could help pool resources and solve shared problems more efficiently.
To make all this work, Kenya will need to make smarter use of data. Good infrastructure planning should be guided by solid evidence. Factors such as population trends, economic activity, environmental risks and opportunities, and climate factors should be at the center stage of infrastructure decision-making. Building up the country’s capacity in spatial data and making better use of digital tools will go a long way in designing better infrastructure.
Kenya can also draw valuable lessons from other countries. The United Kingdom, for example, created centralized agencies like the National Infrastructure and Services Transformation Authority (NISTA) to coordinate infrastructure planning and shorten the time frame by cutting down on bureaucratic processes. Australia focuses on long-term sustainability and environmental impacts in its planning. China’s massive infrastructure drive under initiatives like the Belt and Road shows the power of scale—though it also highlights the importance of avoiding waste and prioritizing quality. Japan, meanwhile, offers an excellent example of building infrastructure that is high-quality, resilient, and designed with communities in mind.
What Kenya needs now is a system that helps prioritize projects based on impact, feasibility, and sustainability. Planning institutions, both national and county-level, must be strengthened through training, coordination, and better governance. Strict quality standards and sustainability checks should be built into every stage of a project, from the conceptualization level to construction and operation. That includes using greener technologies, more durable materials, and thinking through the full life-cycle cost of projects. Kenya could consider adopting sustainability frameworks like the Envision Sustainability Framework by the Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure to guide infrastructure development.
Unfortunately, access to sustainable financing remains one of Kenya’s biggest hurdles. Domestic resource mobilization will have to be improved by expanding the tax base, cracking down on evasion, and making public spending more efficient. There is a need for the financial markets to develop more innovative infrastructure financing solutions. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) offer another path forward, especially as the new PPP Act of 2021 allowing counties to enter such agreements goes hand in hand with localized infrastructure development. Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) like the World Bank and the African Development Bank will continue to be important allies, and Kenya should also look at blended finance and long-term capital from sovereign wealth funds and private equity to plug funding gaps.
In summary, while Vision 2030 helped move Kenya forward in many ways, it also left some key challenges unresolved. The next chapter must be bolder, smarter, and better coordinated. A strong infrastructure plan that is grounded in data and drawing from global best practices is essential. The best time is now; we must start taking stock of our performance while shaping our future.
