The ongoing roll out of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme and the development of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Dongo Kundu in western Kenya, dominated talks between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the ongoing TICAD 7 conference in Yokohama, Japan.
During the bilateral meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Abe said Japan will continue supporting Kenya’s ambition to achieve UHC through Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.
The Japanese Premier had earlier, during the opening session of TICAD 7, announced his government’s pledge to support UHC programmes in Africa that will benefit over 3 million people.
On the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Dongo Kundu, the two leaders agreed that with the support of the Japanese government, Kenya will fast track the commencement of the SEZ as well as the construction of the Likoni Gate bridge in the port city of Mombasa.
Other matters that featured prominently during the talks included regional peace and security, sustainable blue economy and the need to address the trade imbalance between the two countries that is currently in favour of Japan.
Kenyatta thanked Abe for hosting TICAD 6 in Kenya in 2016 saying the conference helped raise the country’s profile as an investment destination of choice on the African continent.
He noted that in the last three years, the number of Japanese companies setting shop in Kenya significantly rose from 41 to 57, a feat he termed as a success indicator of the growing bilateral ties between Tokyo and Nairobi.
The leaders also discussed ongoing United Nations reforms with President Kenyatta asking his host for Japan’s support for Kenya’s bid to win a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
In another side meeting, President Kenyatta and the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres discussed regional peace and security in the Eastern Africa region.
JK/as/APA