This archive report was first published on 28 August 2019.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met on the sidelines of the TICAD 7 conference in Yokohama, Japan, on August 28, 2019. The meeting focused on the ongoing roll out of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme and the development of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Dongo Kundu.
Prime Minister Abe announced Japan's pledge to support UHC programmes in Africa, which will benefit over 3 million people. He also stated that Japan will continue supporting Kenya's ambition to achieve UHC through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.
The two leaders agreed to fast track the commencement of the SEZ in Dongo Kundu and the construction of the Likoni Gate bridge with the support of the Japanese government.
Other matters discussed during the talks included regional peace and security, sustainable blue economy, and the need to address the trade imbalance between the two countries.
President Uhuru thanked Prime Minister Abe for hosting TICAD 6 in Kenya in 2016, which he said helped raise the country's profile as an investment destination of choice on the African continent.
The President noted that the number of Japanese companies setting shop in Kenya significantly rose from 41 to 57 in the last three years, a feat he termed as a success indicator of the growing bilateral ties between Tokyo and Nairobi.
