RAILA WORKS

After discussions with various political leaders in Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday, Prime Minister Raila Odinga heads out to the cities of Nagoya and Kyoto for one-on-one talks with executives of major Japanese corporations seeking to convince them to expand their presence in Kenya.

Although the Prime Minister held discussions with political leaders, including the Crown Prince, former Prime Minister Mr Fukuda and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Mr Fukuyama, his focus is on Japanese business corporations.

The Prime Minister briefed the leaders on issues of climate change and political developments in Kenya but used each meeting to call for Japanese support for Kenya through increased investment.

The Prime and his delegation were due to leave Tokyo by train at dawn on Thursday and head out to Nagoya and Kyoto for discussions with executives of Toyota Motor Corporation and Kyocera Corporation.

Kyocera, based in Kyoto, is engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of a range of products used in the fields of energy generation, environment protection, telecommunications and information processing.

It produces ceramics, electronic devices, telecommunications equipment, semiconductor components, applied ceramic products, information equipment, and others.

The Prime Minister is expected at Toyota headquarters in Nagoya at 10am (Japanese time), where he meet its executive vice president Mr Yukitoshi Funo then tour the company's various plants in Jimu Honkan, Motomachi and Kaikan and later attend a luncheon by the corporation.

Later in the afternoon, he will travel to Kyoto again by train to meet executives of Kyocera and tour its solar products manufacturing plant.

On Friday, the PM will host the executives of major Japanese corporations for lunch in Tokyo, then visit the Panasonic headquarters in Tokyo on Saturday.
Mr Odinga said at various meetings that he is here to convince the Japanese firms that the Kenyan economy is big enough for them, especially if they take it as an entry to the Eastern Africa market.

The PM will travel to Nagoya and Kyoto with Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Industrialisation Minister Henry Kosgey, Foreign Affairs assistant Minister Mr Richard Onyonka, Vision 2030's Mr Mugo Kibati and the chairman of Toyota East Africa Mr Dennis Awori, who is former Kenyan ambassador to Japan.