Direct flights between Nairobi and Tokyo could soon be a reality if talks between National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula and Japanese diplomat are anything to go by.
In a statement on Monday, November 14, Wetangula announced that the direct flights could soon be actualized after fruitful discussions with Japan's Ambassador to Kenya Ken Okaniwa, in a bid to cement trade ties between the two countries.
“Ambassador Okaniwa has stated that he is looking into the possibility of starting direct flights between Tokyo and Nairobi,” Wetangula reported on the deal.
Currently there are no direct flights from Kenya (Nairobi) to Japan (Tokyo), with the quickest flight taking 17 hours and 55 minutes with stopovers at Addis Ababa and Seoul.
Should the deal materialize, it will benefit both nations as Japan is one of the country’s major trading partners.
Wetangula and Okaniwa also discussed other key issues that will benefit Kenya and substantially grow the economy.
“We discussed a variety of topics, such as the manufacturing sector, climate change, waste management practices, and the Japan-Kenya technical skills and experience exchange program,” Wetangula posted in a statement.
According to Trading Economics, Kenya exported to Japan goods worth Ksh7.4 billion and imported goods and products worth Ksh108 billion.
Kenya and Japan enjoy strong ties and the two nations have expressed desire to further improve cooperative relations.
Wetangula’s meeting with Okaniwa comes right after Foreign Affairs CS Alfred Mutua met Hayashi Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on November 4.
During the meeting, Yoshimasa announced, “Japan and Kenya have confirmed to work for further development of bilateral relations, based on the outcome of The Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8).”
“One of the ways to improve bilateral economic relations with Kenya, is through “investment in people” such as the ABE initiatives,” Yoshimasa explained.
On his part, Foreign Affairs Cabinet SecretaryAlfred Mutua stated, "Japan continues to be a steadfast partner in development & it was therefore a pleasure to discuss our plans with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi. We agreed on the way forward to transform the lives of our people and enhance international peace and stability."
