Why Ruto is Flying to Japan for His 14th Trip This Year
President William Ruto will this evening embark on his 14th international trip of the year as he flies to Yokohama, Japan.
According to State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed, Ruto will attend the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), where he is scheduled to meet with several world leaders, including Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
“President William Ruto departs this evening for Yokohama to participate in TICAD 9,” Hussein said in a Monday, August 18 statement.
Kenya currently enjoys its strongest economic ties with Japan, with trade and development cooperation valued at more than Ksh600 billion — the highest for any African country. The trip is therefore aimed at strengthening this relationship by unlocking new opportunities in trade, investment, and development projects.
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On the sidelines of the summit, Ruto will hold high-level talks with Prime Minister Ishiba focused on deepening the Kenya-Japan partnership, boosting bilateral trade, and exploring new areas of cooperation. He will also be hosted at the Imperial Palace by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.
At the conference, Ruto is expected to push for stronger African unity and economic integration. He will call for the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), removal of trade barriers, and greater Japanese investment in key sectors such as infrastructure, energy, logistics, and digital connectivity to link Africa with global markets.
This visit comes shortly after Ruto revealed his upcoming first trip to the United States since President Donald Trump began his second term in February.
“Next month in the U.S., I will meet with the Recording Academy, the organisers of the Grammy Awards, to fast-track plans for setting up world-class music studios in Kenya and to pave the way for hosting an African edition of the Grammy Awards in Nairobi,” Ruto said on Saturday, August 16.
Why Ruto is Flying to Japan for His 14th Trip This Year
