Ruto gets standing ovation in Yokohama with call for global cooperation

President William Ruto was on Wednesday accorded a standing ovation after delivering a powerful speech to the Yokohama City Council Assembly.

In his address, Ruto underscored the importance of global cooperation in addressing today’s pressing challenges.

“Humanity has always thrived through cooperation in today’s interconnected world,” President Ruto said, drawing applause from the chamber.

“Our interdependence is more evident than ever, whether responding to pandemics, mitigating climate change, combating food insecurity or maintaining peace.”

He told the members that Kenya is committed to working with Japan and the global community to confront these challenges together and to explore opportunities for our mutual benefit.

Ruto is in the country for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9).

He added that the shared values of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law provide a strong foundation for collective action.

He closed his remarks with expressions of gratitude in Swahili, English and Japanese, “Asante sana, I thank you, Arigato gozaimasu”, a gesture that drew further applause from the assembly.

The event was attended by Yokohama City Council President Takeshi Shibuya and Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, who welcomed Ruto’s message of unity.

The Head of State further highlighted the human dimension of international relations, noting that ties between countries and cities are ultimately about people.

He pointed to cultural exchanges in music, drama, art, sports, and education as powerful tools for breaking stereotypes and building stronger bonds among citizens.

Ruto praised the long-standing partnership between Yokohama Commercial School and Alliance High School in Kenya, which he said was helping foster the next generation of global leaders while deepening cross-cultural understanding.

The three-day summit officially opened on Wednesday.

Earlier on, Ruto addressed a Kenya Investment Forum, where he revealed that many multinational companies have expressed interest in investing in the country.

Japan is the third largest source of official development assistance to Kenya, having provided more than $5 billion (Sh650 billion) in the past 60 years of a strong and mutually beneficial relationship.

“The support has gone into geothermal development in Olkaria and port expansion in Mombasa, among others,” he stated.

Additionally, 120 Japanese companies have invested in Kenya, leveraging on our strategic location, the gateway to Eastern Africa and indeed the entire continent, expanding infrastructure and fibre optic network, and vibrant financial and capital markets, he said.

“As Kenya's economy expands and grows, our country offers many opportunities for the private sector in Japan, including in digitisation, provision of medical equipment for our universal health coverage, precision farming, e-vehicle manufacturing and green energy industrialisation, among others.”