President William Ruto has reaffirmed that Kenya is creating a conducive business environment for international investors.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) meeting in Yokohama City, Japan, on Friday, August 22, 2025, the Head of State said that Kenya has put in place measures to allow businesses to flourish, despite the heated political temperatures in the country ahead of the 2027 General Election.

”We are creating a good environment for business to invest, grow and flourish in Kenya through a progressive and facilitative legal, tax and incentives regime. As a result, Kenya has become an attractive destination for many international and regional companies. For example, more than 120 Japanese companies operate in Nairobi, engaging in an array of businesses ranging from construction to manufacturing,” President William Ruto wrote on his official X account.

Ruto further revealed that the government and other partners agreed on removing obstacles threatening to hinder the thriving of business between Kenya, Japan and Africa at large.

Elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers

”During our meetings with government and business officials at TICAD 9, we have called for the elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers that make it difficult for Kenya and Africa’s agricultural products to access the Japanese market. Met officials of various Japanese companies, including Sumitomo Corporation, Marubeni Corporation and Fujita Corporation. They committed to expanding their businesses in our country and to be our partners in facilitating balanced trade between Kenya and Japan,” Ruto added.

President Ruto also added that the government will increasingly divest from State corporations through the Nairobi Securities Exchange so that more Kenyans can own a part of the successful companies, inject private sector governance and make them much more profitable than they are now.

At the same time, Ruto said that the Kenya Pipeline Company is next in line and plans are at an advanced stage to begin the search for a transaction advisor. According to the Head of State, the experience with the privatisation of the Kenya Commercial Bank and Safaricom has proven that there is value in going in this direction.

President William Ruto has been meeting global business players at TICAD 9, the latest being International Finance Corporation (IFC) Managing Director Mokhtar Diop, Yokohama City, Japan. IFC is the World Bank’s development institution focusing on the private sector.