NAIROBI, Kenya, May 4 — President William Ruto has called on more Japanese firms to invest in Kenya, urging them to take up opportunities in public-private partnerships for commercially viable projects as the country seeks to deepen economic ties with Tokyo.
Ruto made the appeal at State House, Nairobi, during a meeting with Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, where the two leaders reaffirmed longstanding diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries.
“Kenya and Japan have strong diplomatic and economic ties dating back to our country’s independence in 1963 and anchored on development cooperation, infrastructure development, and trade and investment,” Ruto said.
He added that Kenya values Japan as a strategic partner and is keen on expanding collaboration beyond government engagements to include stronger private sector participation and people-to-people exchanges.
“More than 120 Japanese companies have invested in Kenya and we continue to encourage more businesses to come to Kenya and participate in public-private partnerships, especially for commercially viable projects,” he said.
The President noted that enhanced private sector involvement would accelerate delivery of key infrastructure and development projects while boosting economic growth.
Motegi, on his part, thanked Kenya for its role as a key partner in the region and across Africa, stressing Tokyo’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Kenya and Japan share a partnership spanning more than six decades, built on sustained high-level engagements and collaboration across sectors such as agriculture, energy, health, information and communication technology, infrastructure, education and tourism.
Japan’s support has been instrumental in advancing Kenya’s development agenda, particularly through infrastructure financing, technical cooperation and capacity building initiatives.
The meeting comes as Kenya continues to position itself as a regional investment hub, leveraging strategic partnerships to drive economic transformation and attract foreign direct investment.