This morning, President Uhuru Kenyatta congratulated Mr. Yoshihide Suga after the latter was elected the new Japanese Prime Minister. This follows the departure of the longest serving prime minister of Japan, Mr. Shinzo Abe. Mr. Abe resigned a fortnight ago after serving for more than 7 years in office hence breaking national record for time in office in Japan.
In today’s message, president Kenyatta expressed his best wishes to the new leader of Japan and reaffirmed Kenya’s cooperation with the Asian country in development and the fight against terrorism.
In his message to the new Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Kenyatta wrote, “Please accept my warm congratulations on your victory and my best wishes for your success as you take up the responsibilities and duties of your high office as the new Prime Minister of Japan.
“Excellency, as you embark upon your new responsibilities, I wish to assure you and the people of Japan of the continued friendship of the Government and people of Kenya”.
The president of the Republic of Kenya also said that he is looking forward to working with the new Japanese leader on strengthening and deepening the existing bilateral relationships between Kenya and Japan.
The Kenyan leader also thanked the departing former Japanese Prime Minister (Mr. Abe) for the development projects he made possible in Kenya during the former Japanese leader’s reign in office.
“Excellency, allow me to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for being an astute leader as well as a dependable partner in revitalizing the Kenya-Japan relations.
“Indeed with support from the Government of Japan, Kenya has achieved a reduction in energy costs and improved transport and communication as well as power connectivity and availability throughout the country,” the President wrote.
President Kenyatta added that through Mr. Abe’s leadership, Kenya secured financial support for key infrastructural projects from Japan including several roads, renewable energy, water and the ongoing Special Economic Zone in Dongo Kundu in Mombasa County.
The Mombasa Special Economic Zone was unveiled in 2016 by the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to Japan in August that year. It was the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICADVI). TICAD is usually a two day conference in which the head of state of Japan hosts various African leaders with regards to developmental partnership with Japan.
The Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) was held from August 28 to 30 of 2019. In that particular conference, Uhuru Kenyatta and the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to cooperate to ensure a free and open Indian Ocean.
Additionally, during the TICAD7 meeting, Mr. Abe expressed Japan’s intention to support regional development in Mombasa through the development of Mombasa Special Economic Zone as well as the construction of The Mombasa Gate Bridge.
The former Japanese Prime Minister also stated that Japan would like to assist with the promotion of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through policy support in health sector and the African Health and Well-being Initiative.
