Kenya-China ties: Highlights of key projects and their impact

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, a period which has seen China make significant achievements in economic and social development to become the world’s second-largest economy with an average growth rate of 9.5%.

Since 2003, China has signed 17 free trade agreements with 25 countries and regions. The Belt and Road Initiative has gained support from 160 countries, regions and international organizations.

Currently, China’s output of over 200 industrial products ranks first in the world, including coal, steel and cement.

China-Kenya cooperation

The China-Kenya relationship is at its best time in history. In recent years, President Xi Jinping and President Uhuru Kenyatta have together upgraded China-Kenya relations into comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Statistics show that Chinese enterprises in Kenya have built all Kenya’s Standard-Gauge Railway, nearly 70% of Kenya’s highways, about 30% of water supply equipment and about 40% of power transmission and substation projects.

Here, Kurunzi highlights the impact of Kenya-China relations by looking at key projects implemented under the bilateral ties:

Standard-Gauge Railway

The Mombasa-Nairobi phase alone has employed 2,125 Kenyans, accounting for 75%; while the Nairobi-Naivasha phase construction has employed 5,424 Kenyans, which is equivalent to 86% of the total workforce.

As of 30 June this year, after two years of operation, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR had shipped more than three million passengers in total and the total freight volume exceeded five million tons, which is beyond the expectations of the initial feasibility report.

Actually, the Kenyan SGR has performed better than most railway projects of the same class in the world.

Tourism has already turned out to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the SGR. In Mombasa, the hotel occupancy rate has risen from 50% to 90% since the operation of SGR.

Nairobi-Naivasha SGR is the Phase I of the Nairobi-Malaba SGR Project, which is 120.1 kilometers.

In terms of social responsibility, China WuYi Company invested over USD20,000 and 508 hours of labor to build six water ponds to help about 3,000 local residents secure water supply for their household, farming, and animal husbandry uses.

Garissa solar power station

Built by China Jiangxi International, this is now connected to the national grid for power generation.

The facility comprises 300,000 solar panels which will produce 76,470 MWh per year – enough to power 625,000 homes; while slashing carbon emissions by 43,000 tonnes annually.

Access to satellite TV

Project “Access to Satellite TV for 10000 African Villages” are now in place in Kenya. 500 villages all over the country now can get access to satellite TV with the equipment donated by Chinese company StarTimes.

Student scholarships

In 2019, around 182 Kenyan students were awarded China-sponsored scholarships for further study in China.