Africa
Japan-Kenya Relations (Basic Data)
October 21, 2024
Basic Data
Diplomatic Relations:
| Year | Diplomatic Relations: |
|---|---|
| 1963 | Independence of Kenya (official recognition) |
| 1964 | The Japanese Embassy was established in Kenya |
| 1979 | The Kenyan Embassy was established in Tokyo |
Japanese Nationals in Kenya:
- 742 (as of October 2023)
Trade with Japan (2023):
- Exports to Japan: ¥12 billion (cut flower, tea, coffee, nuts)
- Imports from Japan: ¥133 billion (car, truck, steel, machinery)
Japan's Economic Cooperation (cumulative total as of 2021):
Kenya has been the biggest recipient of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Sub-Saharan Africa. Japan has supported a wide range of areas including agriculture, water supply and sanitation, health and medical care, education, and environmental preservation.
- Loans: ¥491 billion
- Grants: ¥141.6 billion
- Technical cooperation: ¥141 billion
Cultural relationship
- (1) As cultural grant assistance, Japan offered 16 projects of general cultural grant assistance for $6.5 million and 3 projects of Grant Assistance for Cultural Grassroots Projects for $0.8 million. For examples, Japan granted TV program contents ($ 0.4 million in 2007) and research equipments ($0.7 million in 2009).
- (2) Group of traditional and modern Japanese musicians like “Wadaiko” (=Japanese drum) and Jazz, instructors for traditional sports like “Karate”, instructor for traditional culture like “Ikebana” (flower art) and sports trainer were dispatched. Japanese film festival and Japanese speech contest were also held.
- (3) Under the JET-program (invitation program of young foreign languages teachers), English teacher assistant, an advisor for international exchange of personnel (=1 person each in 2006) and advisers for sports exchanges (=2 persons in 2011 and 2013) were invited to Japan.
VIP Visits
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1979 | Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sunao Sonoda |
| 1981 | Director of the Environment Agency, Hyousuke Kujiraoka |
| 1983 | H.I.H.The Crown Prince and Princess |
| 1994 | Minister of State for Defense, Tokuichiro Tamazawa |
| 1997 | Director of the Environment Agency, Michiko Ishii |
| 1999 | Former Prime Minister, Ryutaro Hashimoto H.I.H. Prince and Princess TAKAMADO |
| 2001 | Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori |
| 2003 | Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tetsuro Yano Parliamentary Secretary of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Yosuke Tsuruho |
| 2004 | Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Katsuyuki Kawai |
| 2005 | Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Keiichiro Fukushima Senior Vice- Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ichiro Aisawa |
| 2006 | Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Shoichi Nakagawa Minister of Environment, Masatoshi Wakabayashi |
| 2007 | Senior Vice-Minister of Finance Kazunori Tanaka Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Takeshi Iwaya Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Yuji Sawa |
| 2008 | Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Itsunori Onodera Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nobuhide Minorikawa (Eastern Africa Public and Private Sector Joint Mission) |
| 2009 | Former Prime Minister, Yasuo Fukuda Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Yasutoshi Nishimura |
| 2010 | H.I.H. The Crown Prince Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Environment, Nobumori Otani |
| 2011 | Parliamentary Senior Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ryuji Yamane |
| 2012 | Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Toshiyuki Kato |
| 2013 | Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Toshiko Abe Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Toshimitsu Mogi Mr. Katsuyuki Kawai (Special Envoy of the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe) |
| 2014 | Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hirotaka Ishihara Senior Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Taku Eto Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Environment, Hideki Makihara Senior Vice-Minister of Environment, Tomokatsu Kitagawa Senior Vice-Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Kotaro Nogami |
| 2015 | Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Motoo Hayashi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Miki Yamada, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Hidemichi Sato, (WTO Ministerial Meeting) |
| 2016 | Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, Katsuyuki Kawai (May, August) |
| 2016 | Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Minister for Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida, Minister for Health, Labour and Welfare, Yasuhisa Shiozaki, (TICAD VI) |
| 2017 | State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Hiroyuki Yoshiie |
| 2017 | Mr. Katsuyuki Kawai (Special Envoy of the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe) |
| 2018 | Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization, Toshimitsu Motegi |
| 2018 | State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Masahisa Sato (October and November) |
| 2019 | State Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Takashi Otsuka |
| 2019 | State Minister of Cabinet Office, Akira Sato |
| 2020 | State Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Nobuhide Minorikawa |
| 2020 | State Minister of the Environment, Hirotaka Ishihara |
| 2021 | Minister for Foreign Affairs, Toshimitsu Motegi |
| 2022 | State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Takako Suzuki |
| 2022 | State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Kenichi Hosoda |
| 2022 | Special Envoy of the Prime Minister, Hideki Makihara |
| 2023 | Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida |
| 2024 | State Minister for Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Konosuke Kokuba |
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Foreign Minister, Robert Ouko |
| 1982 | President, Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi |
| 1987 | Minister for Finance, George Saitoti |
| 1989 | President, Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi |
| 1987 | Deputy President and Minister for Finance, George Saitoti |
| 1990 | President, Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi (Enthronement ceremony) |
| 1993 | Deputy President, George Saitoti (TICAD I) |
| 1994 | Attorney General, Amos Wako Minister of Finance, Musalia Mudavadi |
| 1995 | Vice President, George Saitoti (Funeral ceremony for former Prime Minister Mr.Takeo Fukuda) |
| 1998 | Minister of East African and Regional Cooperation K.N.K.Biwott (EAS Ministerial delegation) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bonaya Godana (TICAD II) |
| 2000 | Vice President, George Saitoti (Funeral ceremony for the former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi) |
| 2001 | Minister of Planning, Paul Adhu Awiti (TICAD Ministerial meeting) |
| 2003 | Minister of Trade and Industry, Mukhisa Kituyi (WTO Tokyo informal Ministerial meeting) Minister of Water Resources, Martha Wangari Karua (World Water Forum) Minister of Culture and Sports, Najib Balala Minister of Finance, Daudi Mwiralia Minister of Energy, Ochillo Ayacko Minister of Planning and National Development, Peter Anyang’ Nyong'o (TICAD III) |
| 2004 | Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka Minister of Tourism and Information, Raphael Tuju President, Mwai Kibaki, accompanied by; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chirau Ali Mwakwere, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mukhisa Kituyi, Minister of Planning and National Development, Peter Anyang’ Nyong'o, Minister of Information and Communication, Raphael Tuju (TICAD III) |
| 2005 | Wangari Maathai (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate) (February and March) Minister of Planning and National Development, Peter Anyang’ Nyong'o, Minister of Health, Charity Ngilu Minister of Trade and Industry, Mukhisa Kituyi, (June and August) Minister of Tourism and Wildlife, Morris Dzoro |
| 2006 | Minister of Tourism and Wildlife, Morris Dzoro Minister of Foreign Affairs, Raphael Tuju |
| 2008 | President, Mwai Kibaki, accompanied by; Deputy President, Uhuru Kenyatta Minister of Foreign Affairs, Moses Wetangula Minister of Finance, Amos Kimunya Minister of Planning, National Development and Vision 2030, Wycliffe Ambesta Oparanya Minister of Road, Kipkalya Kones, Minister of Agriculture, William Ruto, Minister of Tourism, Najib Balala (TICAD IV) Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Sally Jepngetich Koskgey (Japan-Africa Ministerial meeting for science technology) |
| 2009 | Minister of Information and Communication, Samuel Poghisio (TICAD IV Follow-up Symposium) |
| 2010 | Prime Minister, Raila Amollo Odinga Former Assistant Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Wangari Maathai (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate) |
| 2011 | Deputy President and Minister for Local Government, Musalia Mudavadi |
| 2012 | Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samson Ongeri Minister of Special Programs, Esther Murugi Mathenge (UN Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction) Minister of Tourism, Danson Mwazo (World travel expo) Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Margaret Kamar (STS Forum) Minister of Finance, Njeru Githae (IMF World bank general assembly) Speaker of national assembly, Kenneth Otiato Marende |
| 2013 | Vice President, William Ruto Cabinet Secretary for Industrialization and Enterprise Development, Adan Mohammed Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure, Michael Kamau Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Davis Chirchir (TICAD V) Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Felix Koskei Cabinet Secretary for Education, Science and Technology, Jacob Kaimenyi |
| 2014 | Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Davis Chirchir Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Felix Koskei Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Danson Mwazo (Tourism Expo Japan) Cabinet Secretary for Education, Science and Technology, Jacob Kaimenyi Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure, Michael Kamau (ESD World Conference) |
| 2015 | President, Uhuru Kenyatta, accompanied by; Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Amina Mohamed Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure, Michael S. Kamau Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury, Henry Rotich (UN Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction) Senate Speaker, Ekwee Ethuro Cabinet Secretary for Industrialization and Enterprise Development, Adan Abdulla Mohammed First Lady, Margaret Kenyatta (WAW!2015) Cabinet Secretary for Health, James Macharia |
| 2016 | Speaker of the National Assembly, Justin Muturi |
| 2017 | Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Amina Mohammed Cabinet Secretary for Health, Cleopa Mailu |
| 2018 | Cabinet Secretary for Education, Amina Mohamed Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Monica Juma |
| 2019 | Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture, Amina Mohamed President, Uhuru Kenyatta, accompanied by Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Monica Juma Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure, James Macharia Cabinet Secretary for Education, George Magoha Acting Cabinet Secretary of the National Treasury and Planning, Ukur Yatani (TICAD 7) President, Uhuru Kenyatta (The Ceremony of the Enthronement) |
| 2021 | Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage, Amina Mohamed (Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games) |
| 2023 | Cabinet Secretary for Investment, Trade and Industry, Rebecca Miano (G7 Trade Ministers' Meeting) |
| 2024 | President, William Ruto (Official visit) Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi (TICAD Ministerial meeting) |