At the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Centre, where the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) is unfolding from August 20 to 22, 2025, Kenya’s President William Ruto painted an assertive yet collaborative vision of his nation’s future. While speaking to an audience of Japanese investors, government officials, and stakeholders at the Kenya Investment Forum, the Head of State outlined new avenues for cooperation that blend financial, technological, and human capital linkages.
President Ruto began with an optimistic economic forecast: Kenya’s GDP growth is expected to climb to 5.6 per cent in 2025, outstripping both last year’s 4.7 per cent and forecasts set by the finance ministry (5.3per cent) and central bank (5.2per cent). He attributed this resilience to adaptive policy responses amid trade tensions and global disruptions.
The bright economic outlook was further reinforced by a landmark agreement: Kenya signed a yen-denominated loan term sheet backed by Japan’s Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) a deal designed to lower borrowing costs and finance key infrastructure priorities. Financial details remain under wraps, but the agreement builds on earlier commitments made in February 2024.
At the Forum, President Ruto invited Japanese firms to enter labor mobility partnerships, allowing Kenyan graduates to work and thrive in Japan, thereby solidifying people-to-people bonds and bolstering bilateral economic ties. He also spotlighted Kenya’s Green Investment Fund, a 5.1 billion initiative set up by the Kenya Development Corporation to back SMEs in sectors like electric vehicles, sustainable agriculture, waste management, and green infrastructure.
In a compelling address to the Yokohama City Assembly, Ruto reaffirmed Kenya’s status as Japan’s gateway to Africa, praising the long-standing six-decade friendship and pointing to Kenya’s Silicon Savannah, robust energy projects like Olkaria, and the Mombasa Port as tangible illustrations of this partnership. He urged deeper cooperation in urban innovation, research, and cultural exchanges.
Lastly, during a bilateral meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the leaders agreed to advance cooperation under the Indian Ocean–Africa Economic Zone Initiative, grant aid for Mombasa Port development, and reinforced human capital development in manufacturing and knowledge sectors all while committing to joint responses on global issues like UN Security Council reform.
With a blend of economic optimism and forward-looking diplomacy, President Ruto’s Yokohama visit sets a new tone for Kenya–Japan ties: one focused on mutual prosperity, sustainable development, and deepened strategic cooperation.
