President William Ruto launched a spirited defense of his Bottom-Up Economic Agenda (BETA) on Monday, emphatically rejecting accusations that his signature economic framework amounts to nothing more than empty political rhetoric.
Speaking at the bustling Kimalel Goat Auction in Baringo on December 22, 2025, the President stressed that the identical economic blueprint that secured him over 7.2 million votes in 2022 is specifically engineered to catapult Kenya from third-world status into a first-world economy.
He forcefully dismissed mounting claims that he has abandoned BETA in favor of the controversial “Singapore Dream” narrative, a pivot critics allege was designed to dazzle voters with grandiose promises disconnected from his original campaign platform.
“Go Read the Kenya Kwanza Manifesto”
“Bottom up is not a slogan; it was not empty talk; it was a plan, to lift Kenya from a third-world country to a first-world country. There are people saying that we have ditched our bottom-up economic agenda for first-world economic status. Let them go and read the Kenya Kwanza manifesto,” Ruto declared defiantly.
The President pointed specifically to page 10 of the BETA Plan, insisting it explicitly articulates a comprehensive vision for elevating Kenya’s economy to first-world standards – evidence, he argues, that the Singapore comparison has always been central to his agenda.
He also vigorously defended the recent Cabinet approval of the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), confirming that it represents a core component of the roadmap toward the “Singapore Dream” and was embedded in his manifesto from day one, not hastily added as an afterthought.
“Everything Was In Our Original Plan”
According to President Ruto, every single initiative his administration is currently implementing derives directly from his original campaign manifesto, with no deviations or surprise additions along the way.
He reiterated that the Bottom-Up Economic Agenda, which served as his powerful rallying point during the hard-fought 2022 elections, remains fully synchronized with his ambitious vision of transforming Kenya into a Singapore-like economic powerhouse.
“There is nothing that we are implementing that was not in our plan; there is nothing that we are implementing that was not part of the manifesto that we sold to the people of Kenya, and they voted for it. Page 10 of the Kenya Kwanza manifesto has the national infrastructure plan; we didn’t parachute it from elsewhere – it was in the manifesto,” he stated.
Critics Question Shift From Grassroots to Glamour
The President’s robust defense comes amid intensifying criticism from political opponents and analysts who argue his messaging has shifted dramatically from grassroots empowerment rhetoric toward aspirational comparisons with Singapore’s world-class infrastructure and economic success.
Critics contend that while BETA initially resonated with ordinary Kenyans struggling with unemployment and high living costs, the Singapore Dream narrative feels disconnected from the immediate economic realities facing millions of citizens.
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