Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi has reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to strengthening its long-standing partnership with Japan.

He described the relationship as critical to the country’s economic growth and development.

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Mudavadi made the remarks in Nairobi while hosting a high-level Japanese delegation led by Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who is on an official visit to Kenya.

The meeting focused on reviewing the progress of bilateral relations and identifying new areas of cooperation between the two nations.

“Japan is Kenya’s key and dependable development partner. Kenya attaches great importance to its partnership with Japan, which has continued to deliver tangible results across critical sectors of our economy,” Mudavadi said.

He noted that the discussions centred on deepening cooperation in trade, investment, development, and multilateral engagement, with both sides expressing a shared commitment to expanding collaboration.

According to Mudavadi, the visit comes at a time when the global economy is facing significant uncertainty, making strong international partnerships even more vital.

“We are operating in an increasingly volatile global environment, and it is important that we continue to strengthen strategic partnerships such as this one,” he said.

Kenya and Japan share a relationship that spans more than six decades, built on sustained high-level engagement and cooperation across key sectors including agriculture, energy, health, ICT, infrastructure, education, and tourism.

Japan’s support has played a significant role in advancing Kenya’s development priorities, particularly through grants, technical assistance, and capacity-building programmes.

During the visit, the two countries formalised Japan’s grant support for the Human Resource Development Scholarship Programme, which aims to enhance skills and expertise among Kenyan professionals. They also discussed measures to strengthen transparency, accountability, and effective implementation of joint projects.

“Our focus remains clear—to build a stronger, results-driven Kenya–Japan partnership that delivers lasting impact for our people,” Mudavadi said.

On his part, Motegi reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to expanding ties with Kenya, describing the country as a strategic partner in Africa.

“Kenya is an important partner for Japan in Africa. We are committed to deepening our cooperation in trade, investment, and development,” he said.

The two leaders also acknowledged the need to address the existing trade imbalance between the two countries, calling for increased efforts to expand market access for Kenyan products and promote value addition.

They further emphasised the importance of strengthening investment promotion and enhancing business linkages between Kenyan and Japanese enterprises to unlock new economic opportunities.

Several senior officials, including Kenya’s Ambassador to Japan Moi Lemoshira and Japan’s Ambassador to Kenya Matsuura Hiroshi, as well as representatives from the respective ministries of foreign affairs, attended the meeting.