Yokohama

President William Ruto has urged Japan to open its markets to more Kenyan produce, pressing for a trade relationship that he says must be fairer and more balanced.

Speaking in Yokohama on Tuesday, ahead of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Mr Ruto said the current trade flow between the two countries was heavily tilted in Japan’s favour.

“Our trade has grown in the past six decades, but it heavily favours Japan at $1 billion against $70 million,” Mr Ruto told Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. “We need to address tariff and non-tariff barriers so that Kenyan produce such as avocados and tea can access the Japanese market.”

Mr Ishiba promised to study the concerns and review restrictions flagged by Nairobi. He added that Tokyo was open to examining non-tariff hurdles that have long slowed African agricultural exports.

Alongside his trade message, Mr Ruto welcomed a new statement of intent on a Samurai Bond that Kenya hopes to issue on Japan’s financial markets. He called the step “a path toward diversifying the country’s resource mobilisation.”

The President also pointed to opportunities in e-mobility, noting ongoing discussions with Toyota on expanding Kenya’s electric vehicle industry.

At the bilateral level, Mr Ruto praised Japan’s record of support in infrastructure, renewable energy, and education. He urged Japanese investors to look to Kenya’s “youthful, educated and skilled workforce” as a competitive edge.

On regional security, he applauded Tokyo’s contributions to peace in South Sudan and Somalia, and its backing of the Multinational Security Mission in Haiti, which Kenya is leading. “Japan’s role in ensuring predictable financing for such missions is critical,” he said.

Later in the day, Mr Ruto addressed the Yokohama City Assembly, where he praised the city as a model of commerce and innovation, highlighting its “smart city” lessons for African urban development. He was joined by Yokohama City Council President Shibuya Takeshi and Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka.

At a Kenya Investment Forum in the port city, the President underscored Japan’s role as Kenya’s third-largest source of foreign direct investment. In 2024, Japanese firms contributed over $205 million, with 123 companies now operating in Kenya across manufacturing, energy, and technology.

“These investments are visible in projects such as the Mombasa Port, Olkaria Geothermal Plant, and automotive assembly plants,” Mr Ruto said, while inviting investors to Nairobi for the 4th Kenya International Investment Conference in March 2026.

The engagements mark a strategic push by Kenya to deepen ties with Asia’s second-largest economy, while positioning itself as a gateway to Africa’s markets.