Why Vision 2060 Could Become Major Test for Kenya

President William Ruto’s Vision 2060 blueprint has opened a wider conversation about Kenya’s long-term development, but ODM party leader and Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga says the ideas behind the plan can be traced back to the late Raila Odinga.

Oburu’s position places the long-term development agenda within the broader political relationship between ODM and the Kenya Kwanza administration, while also highlighting the role Raila played in shaping policy discussions before his death.

The proposed Vision 2060 is intended to succeed Vision 2030 as Kenya’s long-term development framework, setting out an ambition to transform the country’s economy and society over the next three decades.

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Rather than viewing the blueprint solely as a government initiative, Oburu argues that it reflects ideas developed by Raila and a team of experts associated with the former ODM leader, making it an important component of what the party considers its contribution to the broad-based government.

The debate over the origins of the blueprint also raises a broader question about how long-term national development plans evolve, particularly when different political administrations and parties contribute ideas to policies designed to extend beyond individual electoral cycles.

Raila’s Ideas and the Vision 2060 Debate

“You have also seen recently President Ruto has come up with a blueprint of 2060. That 2060 was an idea of our late Raila Amolo Odinga, and the team which crafted it was formed by the late Raila Amolo Odinga,” Oburu said.

The senator said ODM therefore supports the framework, arguing that the party should view the initiative as part of its contribution to the broad-based arrangement between ODM and Kenya Kwanza.

“And therefore, we are 100 per cent supporting it because it is our idea. It is our contribution to the coalition.”

Ruto unveiled Vision 2060 as a successor to Vision 2030, which has served as Kenya’s principal long-term development framework since 2008. The new plan is expected to provide a longer horizon for addressing economic growth, social development, infrastructure, sustainability and Kenya’s competitiveness.

The significance of a 2060 horizon is that it moves national planning beyond the immediate concerns of individual governments. Long-term development frameworks are designed to establish priorities that can survive changes in political leadership and provide continuity in areas such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, industrialisation and environmental sustainability.

Ruto has said the blueprint will build on the gains made under Vision 2030 while seeking to position Kenya as a globally competitive, inclusive and sustainable economy.

The process is also expected to involve a wide range of stakeholders. The President announced an advisory team led by Professor Hiroyuki Hino and Anyang’ Nyong’o to spearhead consultations on the country’s long-term development agenda.

Experts, policymakers, private-sector representatives, academics and ordinary citizens are expected to contribute to the process, reflecting the idea that a national development blueprint should extend beyond the government of the day.

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ODM’s Broader Policy Agenda

The political significance of Vision 2060 for ODM goes beyond the question of who first proposed the idea. The party has increasingly sought to demonstrate that its participation in the broad-based government has allowed it to influence policy rather than simply provide political support to the administration.

Oburu defended the arrangement while speaking at a thanksgiving and prayer service for Homa Bay Woman Representative Joyce Atieno Osogo Bensuda in Kanyadhiang, Karachuonyo Constituency.

“We came in through the window, but this time round we are going to come through the front door. We are going to come through the front door strong, and we are not going to be beggars,” he said.

The statement reflects ODM’s attempt to frame its participation in government as a strategic political decision rather than a surrender of its independent identity.

Oburu said the party expects its political strength to translate into influence in future arrangements, particularly because of its support base and representation across several parts of the country.

“We are going to have our fair share because of our numbers, and those numbers will be reflected in our votes,” he said.

The approach is also tied to ongoing discussions between ODM and the United Democratic Alliance. According to Oburu, the two parties have established a joint technical team tasked with examining their respective policy positions.

The discussions are expected to provide a foundation for a joint policy framework and potentially shape how the two political formations approach future elections.

“Right now, we have formed a technical team which is negotiating on policies of both UDA and ODM, and we are soon going to come out with a manifesto which we shall use to campaign before Kenyans in the future,” he said.

A joint manifesto would give the two parties an opportunity to present voters with a shared policy agenda rather than relying exclusively on coalition negotiations and political alliances.

For ODM, however, cooperation with UDA does not mean abandoning its traditional areas of influence. Oburu has continued to advocate for political zoning, arguing that coalition partners should recognise areas where individual parties have established support.

“We want zoning because this is our zone. We don’t want UDA here in Homa Bay,” he said.

The argument for zoning is based on the belief that political coalitions can become more stable when partners respect each other’s established support bases instead of competing aggressively against one another.

“We start with our areas where we have strongholds, where we have our governors, where we have our MPs and where we have our MCAs. Those are our zones automatically without negotiation,” he said.

Oburu identified Nyanza, Western Kenya, the Coast, North Eastern and Turkana among the regions where ODM intends to consolidate its support before seeking broader partnerships.

“We want to work with all the ODM strongholds… all of us together, and we are going to come together to form the next government as one,” Oburu said.

The discussion surrounding Vision 2060 therefore sits within a much larger question about Kenya’s political and development trajectory. While long-term plans are expected to outlive individual administrations, their success ultimately depends on whether successive governments maintain commitment to the priorities they establish.

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For ODM, claiming a role in the origins of Vision 2060 also allows the party to connect its current participation in government to a broader policy legacy associated with Raila Odinga.

The real test of the blueprint, however, will come with implementation. Whether Vision 2060 becomes a lasting national framework will depend on the quality of its policies, the resources committed to them and the ability of future administrations to maintain continuity.

That makes the proposed framework more than a political document. It could become a measure of whether Kenya can sustain development priorities across generations, regardless of who occupies State House.