Members of the public during the ‘Light Up 26’ event to usher in the New Year at Uhuru Park, Nairobi on December 31, 2025.
Every January, we find ourselves sketching roadmaps. Some are personal, others are organisational and even national. They are the lines we draw between where we stand today and where we dream of being tomorrow. But this year, the very idea of a roadmap carries a weight unlike any other.
The COP30 presidency in Belem committed to two historic roadmaps: the phase‑out of fossil fuels and the halting of deforestation. These are actually lifelines for our planet, markers of whether humanity will rise to meet its greatest test. The truth is that unless we have a roadmap, our vision remains nothing more than abstract words. But with a clear path, discipline and collective resolve, those words can become the foundation for a new reality. And so, as we set our own resolutions and chart our own course, we must remember that the roadmaps that matter most are not only about what we want to achieve, but also how we will get there.
This must be a year where we move from vision to practise. It is not enough to imagine a future free from fossil fuels and deforestation, we must build it with our hands, our policies, our partnerships and our courage. Each roadmap we draw, whether global or local, is a chance to align our values with our actions, to ensure that the path we walk is as bold as the destination we seek.
This is the year to lean into collaboration. For us at the Movement for Community-Led Forest Economies, we have made a commitment to deepen our understanding of what it takes to make direct financing to indigenous peoples and local communities work, and to honour the wisdom of those who have safeguarded forests and lands for generations. It is the year to make “Making it Work” not just a theme, but a lived reality.
Singapore dream
The beginning of 2026 carries a hope for what we want our future to look like as a country as well. When a colleague returned from Singapore recently, he described a nation that embodies a dream long presented to Kenyans: transformation. The question before us is not whether this dream is possible, but whether we can chart a credible roadmap to make it real.
Can we re-imagine Kenya as a nation that could rise to the stature of Singapore? Unlike the many promises that often fade into political rhetoric, this vision has captured the imagination of citizens across the country. It continues to spark debate, hope and reflection. Singapore’s story reminds us that prosperity is not born of rhetoric but of resolve.
In the 1960s, it was an undeveloped nation. In 1965, its separation from Malaysia left its people in anguish, as Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew tearfully announced the uncertainty of their future. Yet from that anguish emerged resilience and reform. Singapore confronted corruption with uncompromising resolve, and today it stands among the least corrupt nations in the world. It built prosperity while safeguarding its environment, weaving green infrastructure into its identity.
This is the lesson for Kenya: our dream can (and must) be bold, but our steps must be deliberate. If Singapore could rise from despair to global admiration, then Kenya too can transform—not through words alone, but through the hard work of building, reforming and believing in the discipline of possibility.
From independence, our founding fathers spoke of the same dream we hear echoed today: a Kenya built for its people, with institutions that serve them, and leaders who plan beyond elections. We dream of order, efficiency and prosperity. But dreams demand a roadmap.
Opportunity for rebirth
Today, nearly half of Kenyans live in extreme poverty, while a small elite holds more wealth than tens of millions combined. In Nairobi, which powers over a quarter of our GDP, public services crumble, rivers run polluted and young people struggle to find work despite their education.
If we are serious, we must confront inequality, abandon corruption and greed, and invest boldly in education, health, energy and transport. We must protect our land, forests and rivers so every Kenyan can thrive in a nourishing environment.
This new year provides an opportunity for rebirth. We cannot speak of transformation while tolerating corruption as a normal feature of public life. We cannot quietly rob ourselves of classrooms, hospitals, climate resilience and dignity. It is time we restored faith in public institutions, just like the countries we aspire to be like have done.
This must be a year where we align our ambition with the hard work of building institutions, reducing inequality and protecting the natural systems our future depends on. Only through a clear roadmap for transformation can we set ourselves on the path of becoming a prosperous country. May it be so. Happy New Year!
Ms Mathai is the MD for Africa & Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute and Chair of the Wangari Maathai Foundation
