President William Ruto received a standing ovation on Wednesday after addressing the Yokohama City Council Assembly, where he emphasized the need for global cooperation to tackle pressing challenges facing humanity.

In his remarks, Ruto highlighted the growing interdependence of nations in responding to crises such as pandemics, climate change, food insecurity, and the pursuit of peace.

“Humanity has always thrived through cooperation in today’s interconnected world,” President Ruto said, earning applause from the assembly. “Our interdependence is more evident than ever, whether responding to pandemics, mitigating climate change, combating food insecurity or maintaining peace.”

He assured the council that Kenya is committed to collaborating with Japan and the wider international community to confront these challenges and pursue shared opportunities for development.

Ruto pointed to democracy, freedom, and the rule of law as shared values that provide a strong foundation for collective action. He concluded his speech with expressions of gratitude in Swahili, English, and Japanese: “Asante sana, I thank you, Arigato gozaimasu,” which drew further applause from members of 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 President also highlighted the human aspect of international relations, noting that connections between nations and cities are ultimately about people.

He emphasized the role of cultural exchanges in music, drama, art, sports, and education in breaking stereotypes and strengthening relationships among citizens. Ruto praised the long-standing partnership between Yokohama Commercial School and Kenya’s Alliance High School, saying it nurtures the next generation of global leaders while deepening cross-cultural understanding.

Ruto’s visit coincides with the three-day Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), which officially opened on Wednesday.

Earlier, he spoke at a Kenya Investment Forum, revealing that several multinational companies have shown interest in investing in Kenya.

Japan has been Kenya’s third-largest source of official development assistance, contributing over $5 billion (Sh650 billion) in the past six decades, supporting projects in geothermal energy at Olkaria and port expansion in Mombasa.

Ruto noted that 120 Japanese companies have already invested in Kenya, leveraging its strategic location, expanding infrastructure, fibre optic networks, and vibrant financial markets.

“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,” he said.