Why does this kitchen receptacle located on the far side, away from the sink, need to be GFCI?
(Is that outlet in the kitchen, or is it in the dining area? If it's in the dining area, it might not need GFCI.)

The reasoning I'd give is that kitchen outlets are much more likely to be dealing with water than other outlets, even if they're nowhere near the sink. You could have a coffeemaker, or slow cooker, or microwave, or bread maker plugged in there, all of which can have both water and electricity in the same appliance, which increases the possibility of electric shock.