Message from Ambassador

Dr. Korir Sing’oei, PS for Foreign Affairs,
Your Excellency Zainab Bangura, DG of the United Nations Office at Nairobi,
Cabinet Secretaries, Permanent Secretaries, Honourable MPs, Honourable Senators,
Ambassadors, Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
Very good afternoon.
 
I thank all of you for joining me today to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty Emperor Naruhito. I extend warm welcome to all of you at this joyous occasion. On 23^rd of this month, His Majesty will become 66. His Excellency PCS Mudavadi has turned 65, the Republic will be 62 this year and I will also be 62 in this April. In each year, this is an invaluable moment at which all of us sense that we walk together: Tutembee pamoja. It is profoundly meaningful for our bilateral relations that all of us celebrate that day together in one place. So, thank you very much.
 
Back in 2010, His Majesty came to Kenya during his first visit to Sub-Sahara Africa as Crown Prince. On the other day, I saw the video of his speech at the state dinner during his stay in Nairobi. He greeted the audience by saying “Hamjambo?”, and “Habari gani?” He even quoted the famous Kiswahili proverb “Milima haikutani, lakini binadamu hukutana.” Also on course of the visit, His Majesty bought a wooden jigsaw puzzle in the shape of the African continent, with each piece in the shape of every African country. That was a souvenir for his beloved daughter, Her Highness Princess Aiko. Her Highness has grown up by playing this puzzle for the past 16 years, including for the purpose of reviewing her understanding of the African geography before tests in the school. Thus, Princess Aiko has deepened her affinity with Africa, together with His Majesty.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
Last year was a momentous year for our relations. First, with President Ruto’s visit to Japan in August, Japan and Kenya achieved the mutual visits by our leaders in three consecutive years. PCS Mudavadi also visited Japan two years in row. These promoted the bilateral relations very strongly. Kenya was powerfully represented at TICAD9 by the team of the President, PCS, CS Duale for health and CS Miano for tourism and wildlife. The Kenya team effectively led the discussion at TICAD.
 
Second, in December, Asahi Group Holdings announced its takeover of the 65% ownership of East African Breweries Limited with US$2.3 billion investment. This has been the largest investment by a Japanese business in East Africa at an ear-dwarfing scale. It was a big news at the end of the year, but also it demonstrated the big importance and enthusiasm that the Japanese businesses attach to the Kenyan and African market. Today, I have asked four of such enthusiastic investors of Japan to showcase their products and services here at the venue. Asahi Intecc provides catheter and other products for cardiovascular surgery and operates the heart centre for cardiovascular medicine at the Eldoret Hospital. One of the many products which Sojitz introduces to the Kenyan market with high enthusiasm, is Nala, an instant noodle, readily available nationally at supermarkets. Pigeon specializes in baby-raring products, such as bottles for powder milk. Maison is the provider of wigs which exclusively use the synthetic hair produced by Kaneka, a Japanese chemical manufacturer. All in all, the four products capture the changing consumer demand in the changing Kenyan society, which is increasingly busy, increasingly fashionable, nourishing babies with increasing care, and increasingly worried about heart diseases. In this way, they show how the Japanese businesses are attentively engaging in the Kenyan market. I ask you to go around their exhibition booths to touch, test and feel the products later.
 
Third, last year was the year of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. CS Kinyanjui for Industry, Trade and Investment attended the Kenyan national day in June, which gave strong impression to all the attendees of the power of Kenyan culture. The total number of the people who visited the Kenya pavilion at the Expo in the period from April to October was 2.3 million. It is a big number, and this number of Japanese were exposed to the Kenyan culture and goods. In September, Kenyan athletes performed superbly at the World Athletic Championship in Tokyo. Under the on-site watch by CS Mvurya for Youth and Sports, they earned 11 medals and broke 3 records at the Championship. Such names as Beatrice Chebet, Faith Kipyegon and Lilian Odira, have become familiar ones on the lips of Japanese people. Also in September, we heard the refreshing sound of Nyatiti played by Eriko Mukoyama, also known as Anyango. Despite she is a Japanese and a woman, she has become an accomplished player of Nyatiti, hitherto preserved for Luo men. To commemorate the publication of her autobiography “Anyango Nyar Siaya (Nyatity Queen),” she gave the performance at the Alliance Francaise. Put together, the cultural and sport interest and understanding between Japan and Kenya were dramatically expanded and deepened both ways last year.
 
We need to recognize that the bilateral relationship has entered a qualitatively different stage by now. This year, we should build upon this excellent status, from strength to strength. The Japanese public see the dynamic progress of our bilateral relationship as the symbol of the growing Japan-Africa relationship. I greatly look forward to working closely with you.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
PCS Mudavadi’s new year article that appeared on the East African emphasized four principles of the Kenyan diplomacy, namely the rule-based liberal international order, peace and stability, multilateralism and Pan-Africanism. Indeed, Kenya is the anchor of the four principles in East Africa, as Japan is the anchor of the four principles in East Asia. We have many tasks ahead of us to advance the Free and Open Indo-Pacific together.
 
The article also mentioned in the same article the importance of further integration of the East African Community market. I cannot agree more. I wish to work together with the Government of Kenya on this cause as well.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to raise the matter of multilateralism again, as the Permanent Representative of Japan at UNON. Last year we had a successful UN Habitat Assembly and a successful UNEA7 at UNON. Given the fragility of the multilateral diplomacy nowadays, these were commendable outcomes. We are now in the implementation phase of the outcomes. Japan is ready to join forces with other member states to do that. That will show how Japan remains committed to the strengthening of multilateralism. The re-strengthening of multilateralism should begin here at Nairobi. In the second half of last year, I served as the Chair of the Asia-Pacific Group in Nairobi, supported by the members of the Group and by DG, Her Excellency Bangura. I thank for all the support. This year, I will support the Group’s present Chair, Ambassador Witjak of Indonesia, and its subsequent Chair.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
To conclude, I come back to the original point of our relations. Japan’s wish has always been simple: we hope to see a Kenya that is resilient and navigates its destiny by itself with confidence. Japan also tries hard to be resilient and navigate our destiny by ourselves. We like to do it together with Kenya, by learning from each other. Because we, Japanese, see many common characteristics with us in Kenyans. Both of us are optimistic, have an open mind to new things, respect our tradition, work hard and believe in ourselves. In this simple conviction, Japan has been consistent. We never flip-flop. We never see Africa as a stage for hegemonic competition. We always humbly wish to be trusted by Kenya and the Kenyans as such. That has been the basis of our long friendship and will continue to be so. Let us continue building mutual trust between our two countries.