Kibaki lauds Japan for humanitarian aid

By PPS

President Kibaki has praised Japan for humanitarian aid to Kenya following the post-election challenges.

The President said Japan was a reliable development partner and lauded it for its funding to the construction of Sondu Miriu Hydropower Station and the rehabilitation of the port of Mombasa.

Kibaki spoke during talks with the former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who paid him a courtesy call at State House, Nairobi.

The talks were a follow-up on the implementation of the Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development Conference (Ticad IV), held in Yokohama, Japan, last year.

They also centered on the bilateral and economic co-operation between the two countries.

Grand Coalition

The former premier praised President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga for setting aside political differences to form a coalition Government. Under Ticad IV agreement, Japan committed to double its annual Overseas Development Assistance loans to Africa to US$ 4.0 billion by 2012 in support of infrastructure and agriculture.

Other highlights of the agreement include financial support of US$ 2.5 billion.

Emergency food

Others are the establishment of Japan Bank International Cooperation facility for African investment and emergency food aid amounting to US$100 million between May and July, last year.

The former Prime Minister chaired the Ticad IV.

He is en-route to Botswana to review the implementation of the agreement.

Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula, Japanese Ambassador Shigeo Iwatani, Kenya’s Ambassador to Japan Dennis Awori and Foreign Affairs PS Thuita Mwangi were present.