President William Ruto has urged Kenya’s diplomats to take a more assertive role in positioning the country as a premium global investment destination.

Speaking at the 19th Ambassadors and High Commissioners Conference in Nairobi on Saturday, President Ruto called on envoys to project the right image of Kenya and secure partnerships that deliver tangible benefits.

“You are called upon to articulate, position, and present to the world the full breadth of Kenya’s potential, to tell our story with conviction, and to translate that promise into partnerships that deliver tangible outcomes for our nation,” he said.

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The conference was attended by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei, Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu, and over 70 ambassadors and consuls-general.

President Ruto highlighted the government’s Sh5 trillion ($40 billion) national transformation plan aimed at turning Kenya into a first-world economy.

Key projects include expanding infrastructure with at least 2,500km of dual carriageways, 28,000km of tarmac roads, modernising rail, upgrading airports and seaports, and increasing energy capacity from 3,300MW to 10,000MW.

A major water harvesting initiative forms part of the plan, with at least 50 mega dams and over 1,000 micro and small dams to support irrigation and national food security. The search for contractors for the first 15 mega dams is already underway.

The President emphasised that achieving the plan requires a whole-of-government approach, both locally and internationally.

“As we work here at home to transform our country, you are the face, the voice, and the standard of Kenya beyond our borders. I call upon you to embody that responsibility with integrity, conviction, and a deep sense of purpose,” he said.

President Ruto also addressed critics, saying diplomats should ignore pessimists intent on tarnishing Kenya’s image. “If you read social media, you will think Kenya is going to collapse tomorrow,” he remarked.

He outlined reforms undertaken over the past three years, including rationalising expenditure, streamlining the budget, and removing unsustainable consumption subsidies.

Inflation has declined to 4.3 per cent in February 2026, foreign direct investment rose 15 per cent in 2025, exceeding $2 billion, and foreign exchange reserves have grown from $5.7 billion in 2022 to $14.6 billion.

“The recent upgrade of Kenya’s sovereign rating by Standard & Poor’s, from B- to B, is another clear and credible affirmation of the confidence that global markets have in the direction we have taken,” he said.

On social sectors, President Ruto noted that the government has hired 100,000 teachers, built 23,000 classrooms, streamlined the Competency-Based Curriculum, and introduced a higher education student-centred model.

Agricultural reforms, including subsidised fertiliser and the eradication of cartels, have boosted productivity and farmer incomes.

In healthcare, the Social Health Authority has registered over 30 million members under public health insurance. Employment initiatives, such as the Affordable Housing Programme, have created over 640,000 jobs for young people, with the number expected to reach one million by next year.

Digital jobs at ICT hubs and Business Process Outsourcing centres currently employ about 300,000 youths, with plans to expand further.

President Ruto highlighted Kenya’s growing appeal to multinational corporations, with more than 300 companies establishing operations in the country.

He also stressed Kenya’s leadership role in Africa, from climate action as Chair of the Committee of African Heads of State on Climate Change, to supporting peace missions in Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.

Mr Mudavadi said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is advancing the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, citing bilateral partnerships that have boosted Kenyan exports to China, the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates.

President Ruto concluded that Kenya’s manifesto is “not a piece of paper, but a covenant with the people,” and that the country remains firmly committed to regional, continental, and global leadership.