TICAD a huge success for Kenya's economy

There is a lot to celebrate about the just ended Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) summit. The Nairobi conference, the sixth such on African Development, was held for the first time outside Japan, signifying the importance of Kenya on the African continent.

Several high profile conferences; the Global entrepreneurship Summit, World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference and UNCTAD, among others, have been held in Nairobi in the recent past. Visits by dignitaries like US President Barack Obama and the Pontiff have assured Kenya the pride of place among peers. Yet that, by itself, is not enough. Ordinary citizens do not understand the intricacies of such conferences unless the results impact positively on their lives.

Other than the immediate benefits witnessed in the booming business around Nairobi and tourism gains during the summit, the TICAD meeting promises to be different. It has the capacity of positively impacting on the lives of common citizens with the prudent use of the billions of shillings Japan has pledged to give Kenya in support of various development initiatives.

The Sh10 billion grant by Japan to support development must be put to good use through identification of viable projects. Too often, even as proven by reports of the Auditor General, the corrupt in society tend to use such funds on white elephant projects.