Why we shouldn't vilify Ruto over his Singapore dream

President William Ruto delivers New Year message to Kenyans at the Eldoret State Lodge, on December 31, 2025. [PSCU] 

Every new year, we laugh at the viral clip of someone editing their resolutions: “buy a car” becomes “buy a carpet,” “save Sh1 million” shrinks to “save Sh10,000,” achieved by deleting the three zeros and “start my own business” cleverly morphs into “mind my own business.” It is funny and satisfying, but it also captures a deeper truth that dreams are not set in stone.

I would rather have a president who dreams boldly than one who refuses to dream at all, a fitting response to critics who dismiss President William Ruto’s Singapore vision as far‑fetched.

Resolutions are not failures simply because they remain unfulfilled; they are reminders that progress is rarely linear. What matters most is the courage to dream, even when the dream must be reshaped or carried forward by someone else. For a nation to realise a long‑term vision, as Singapore did, leadership must pass the torch from one generation to the next. After all, as the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day.

Therefore, Dr Ruto’s bold declaration that Kenya is “on the path to becoming a First World country” can be read in the same spirit. Like our resolutions, the promise of turning Kenya into a Singapore‑style success story is ambitious and perhaps daunting. But just as individuals adjust their goals to reality, we must be optimistic.

Kenya’s “resolution list” is long: Mega dams, thousands of kilometres of new roads, expanded power generation, and millions of acres under irrigation. These are the equivalent of writing “save Sh1 million” on our national vision board. They sound crazy, but their success must start with a dream.

The language of “First World” and “Third World” may be outdated globally, but in Kenya it remains a powerful shorthand for progress. Ruto has leaned heavily on this symbolism, pointing to the Asian Tigers—South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan—as examples of nations that rose from poverty to prosperity within a generation. His 30-year horizon for Kenya echoes the optimism that we must have confidence in.

The promise of First World living indeed feels distant. Farmers question the government's claims of booming tea export earnings while their bonuses remain stagnant. Youth unemployment leaves millions without opportunities. The gap between political speeches and lived experience is wide, but we must learn to embrace dreaming—it is free to dream big!

If Kenya is serious about joining the ranks of advanced economies, the journey requires more than scepticism. It demands atomic habits: From positive thinking to achieving strong governance and necessary reforms.

Industrialisation and value addition must move beyond raw exports to manufacturing. Healthcare and social services must ensure that growth benefits all citizens, not just the elite. Kenya must also leverage its strengths in renewable energy, building on geothermal and wind power to position itself as a leader in green development. We must learn that these dreams are possible.

Regional integration through the East African Community can create trade opportunities and collective bargaining power, thereby strengthening Kenya’s position in the global economy. But these are first achievable by changing our mindsets so that we trust that it is possible without reading too much evil into political promises.

The stories from the Asian Tigers are edited. We are told that South Korea’s rise was built on disciplined leadership and investment in human capital, while Singapore’s success hinged on anti‑corruption reforms and strategic planning.

What we are not told is that the full story includes strains; soaring living costs, stagnant wages for ordinary workers, and reliance on migrant labour facing harsh conditions. We are not told that for prosperity to dazzle in these countries, inequality persisted.

For Kenya, the dream of First World status is not impossible, but it demands trust in leadership and honesty in delivery. It also demands sacrifice to pay the necessary price. Like editing resolutions, we must adjust when reality intervenes, without losing sight of the bigger vision that guides national progress.

Dr Ndonye is Dean of Kabarak University’s School of Music and Media