President Ruto to Address Nation on Progress of Sh5tn Transformation Plan

On November 18, 2026, President William Ruto will deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address before a joint sitting of Parliament. The speech is expected to put his administration's pledges and last year's commitments under intense public scrutiny. President Ruto's address comes amid mounting criticism from the opposition and concerns over rampant corruption within the public service, rising public debt, and an unpopular taxation regime.

In his 2025 address, President Ruto committed to four core national priorities designed to turn Kenya into a net exporter. These priorities include investment in the people, turning around the economy, constructing 50 mega dams for irrigation and power generation, expanding power generation by more than 10,000 megawatts, and upgrading transport and logistics networks. To finance these priorities, the President announced a massive Sh5 trillion budget and the creation of two major financial vehicles - the National Infrastructure Fund and a Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Governance expert Mr. Barasa Nyukuri says Kenyans expect a clear scorecard on the promises made last year. "It will be a dump squib for the president to address the nation without clearly stating the achievements realized on the promises made to the country last year," says Mr. Nyukuri. City lawyer Mr. David Ochami also weighed in, stating that Kenyans expect to know the progress made on the promises he made to the country, not just last year, but also on his two previous addresses to the nation.

During the 2025 address, President Ruto was bullish, delivering a speech in colourful language as he outlined his agenda and presented himself as a determined leader. He framed his administration's agenda around four priority areas that he said would transform Kenya into a first-world economy. The President stressed that it is a vision to rise from developing to developed status, and that the country is willing to accept the challenges that come with it.

The opposition specifically sought answers on how the blueprint would be translated into actual projects, highlighting rampant corruption within the public service, rising public debt, and unfavourable economic policies as major challenges. Bumula MP Jack Wamboka noted that agricultural production had dwindled, and public sector employees were unable to receive their monthly wages on time. He also highlighted the delayed remittance by state agencies of statutory deductions like pension.

In the transport sector, Kenya Railways officially commenced construction on the Sh700 billion Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba Standard Gauge Railway extension in July 2026. The government continued structuring public-private partnership frameworks for the modernisation of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the ports of Mombasa and Lamu. On water harvesting and large-scale irrigation, the government is dragging its feet, but two flagship inherited projects, the Mwache Dam and the Thwake Dam, are nearing completion.

Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi announced that the 10,000 MW clean energy expansion is on course. He attributes this to the Ministry's April 2026 announcement that Kenya had crossed the 1,000 MW mark in installed geothermal generation capacity, ranking sixth globally. The government is committed to achieving a stable supply of electricity in the country to meet the needs of the people.

Key points

• President Ruto's administration has made some progress on its priorities, including the construction of the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba Standard Gauge Railway extension and the expansion of geothermal generation capacity.