• Japan has played a key role in the establishment and capacity building of important institutions such as Jkuat, Kemri and Kefri
• Japan has also received many Kenyan experts for training, with 15,061 Jica trainees since 1963.
Image: OZONE
In any diplomat’s career, certain events stand out as highlights that it are an honour and a privilege to participate in.
One such event is when your country marks a significant anniversary in its relationship with your host nation. It is a great pleasure as the 20th Ambassador of Japan to Kenya to note that 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Kenya and Japan.
In 1963, Kenya was a very different place from what it is now. And so was Japan. In the case of my country, we had just begun to get over the devastation of the Second World War and embark on what economists still refer to as the “Japanese economic miracle” (1960s-80s).
This period of rapid economic growth saw Japan rise from economic ruin to become the world’s second largest economy. As Japan prospered, it extended support to countries in Asia and Africa in need of development assistance.
This brought about the creation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 1974.
Reflecting the importance of Kenya and our longstanding friendship, Kenya is the largest recipient of Japan’s Official Development Assistance in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on the priorities of the Kenyan government, our cooperation focused on top priority areas such as infrastructure, energy, industry, agriculture, health, education, forestry, environment and regional stability, among others.
The results of the 60 years of cooperation are visible in various areas. Infrastructure development projects such as the Mombasa Port Development Project, the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone, the Ngong Road Expansion Project, the construction of the Olkaria Geothermal Power Stations and the Mwea Irrigation Development Project have played a significant role in enhancing development, standard of living and employment opportunities for Kenyans.
In addition, Japan has played a key role in the establishment and capacity building of important institutions such as Jkuat, the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute. It is notable that, as a result of Japan’s support, Kenya now provides training to counterparts from other African countries in some of these areas.
Japan attaches great importance to human resource development. Since 1964, it has dispatched 1,757 Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers who live and work among the Kenyan local communities with a view to contribute to socioeconomic development. Japan has also received many Kenyan experts for training, with 15,061 Jica trainees since 1963.
The training covered a wide variety of expertise, ranging from law and order, public administration to agriculture, business, gender policy, ICT, etc. About 350 Kenyans received the Japanese Government MEXT Scholarship programme to study in Japan.
The 60th anniversary is an occasion to renew the warm feeling of friendship between our two peoples, which has continued for so many years.
Some outstanding individuals have contributed to promoting our friendship. Kenya’s renowned Nobel Peace Prize winner, Prof Wangari Maathai — now deceased —made numerous visits to Japan to promote cooperation at the grassroots level on environmental issues and promoted the Japanese spirit of “Mottainai” (a Japanese word that describes 3R: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) in the international community.
There are numerous other individuals from Japan and Kenya whose stories bring our two peoples closer together. I wish to express my appreciation and pay tribute to all of them.
The Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (Ticad 6) in 2016 was a historic milestone in Kenya-Japan relations as it was the first time the summit was held outside Japan in Nairobi. The participation of a large number of Japanese executives at the meeting gave a boost to raising their interest in investing and doing business in Kenya. As a result, the number of Japanese companies doing business in Kenya has doubled in the last five years to more than 100 at present.
At Ticad 8 in August last year, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio reiterated Japan's commitment to continue as “a partner growing together with Africa”, including Kenya, and pledged $30 billion in public and private funding over the next three years.
I am in no doubt that, in view of the importance of the relations between our two countries, our cooperation and friendship will continue to flourish in the years to come.
The writer is the Ambassador of Japan to Kenya