President Uhuru Kenyatta has joined other world leaders in mourning the death of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

A lone gunman shot Shizo twice in his neck while he was giving a speech at a political campaign on a street in the Southern city of Nara on Friday morning.

He succumbed to his injuries hours later while receiving treatment at around 08:03 GMT, 11:03 am local time, four hours after the attack.

Moments before the attack. Suspect to the left of Shizo in the background. PHOTO/COURTESY

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Uhuru expressed his shock at learning about the sudden passing of Shizo whom he termed as his friend and Kenya’s development ally.

"It is utter shocking and somewhat unbelievable to learn of the sudden death of my friend, and one of Kenya's foremost development ally, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in a savage shooting incident," Uhuru said.

Abe last visited the country in 2016 during the 6th TICAD conference during which he held bilateral talks with Uhuru at State House, Nairobi.

Abe, who was Japan's longest-serving prime minister retired in 2020 after holding office in 2006 for a year and then again from 2012 until his retirement.

He stepped down from office on grounds of ill health, which he later revealed to be the relapse of an intestinal disease known as ulcerative colitis.

Abe will be remembered for pushing assertive policies on defence and foreign policy.