Kenya secures more commitments from Japanese investments

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta arrived back to Nairobi on Wednesday night after his maiden visit to Japan during which he secured more commitments for Japanese investments in Kenya.

During the visit, Kenyatta held fruitful talks with the Japanese leadership on bilateral engagement as Japan pledged some 38 million dollars to support Kenya's universal healthcare.

Kenyatta said in a statement issued in Nairobi on Thursday Japan should increase its imports of Kenyan flowers by dealing directly with Kenyan investors as opposed to going through European auctions, which leads to delays in getting the flowers to their market.

Kenyatta, who attended the 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in the northeastern Japanese city of Sendai, also secured commitments by Japan to support Kenya and other countries in setting up mechanisms to deal with disasters.

Japan, which has suffered greatly from natural disasters, has succeeded in setting up mitigation measures which Kenya expects to learn from in the process of setting up its own mechanisms.

Kenyatta underscored the necessity of direct flights between Nairobi and Tokyo to boost bilateral trade and tourism.

Trade between the two countries grew from 557 million U.S. dollars in 2008 to 1.1 billion dollars in 2013. Kenya's exports to Japan include tea, coffee, fresh and frozen fish, fresh cut flowers, textile fibers and soda ash, while imports from Japan include motor vehicles, auto parts and engines, iron and steel products, machinery and rubber tyres.

As the gateway to East and Central Africa, Kenyatta said Kenya occupies a special position in Japan's diplomatic relations with Africa.

"We have accessible transport connectivity, diverse skills and expertise, and we are at the centre of a wide and expansive market in East Africa -- over 130 million people -- and in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region, which is home to more than 410 million people," he said.

During his visit, Kenyatta has met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Toyota Tsusho CEO Jun Karube who promised to deepen their relationship with Kenya for the benefit of the two nations.

Karube said a team would be visiting Kenya next month to explore the prospects of a multi-million shilling investment initiative that will significantly transform Kenya's motor vehicle industry.

The company also said it intends to invest more in Kenya's energy sector after the construction of the 280MW Olkaria plants which have significantly enhanced Kenya's green credentials. Endi