China’s role in Kenya’s development

By Han Chunlin

The Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (Focac) concluded this past week.

The past three years have witnessed the remarkable progress in China-Kenyan economic and trade co-operation. The Chinese government made great efforts in implementing the eight new measures announced by the Chinese government at the Fourth Ministerial Conference of Focac in 2009.

China has implemented the new measures in various sectors that include medical care, human resource development, education, credit and financing among other development sectors.

Medical equipment

In terms of co-operation in medical care and public health service, China has funded the construction of the Malaria Prevention and Treatment Centre and the Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Nairobi. It has also provided 10 million RMB Yuan worth of medical supplies and equipment to the hospital. Another batch of medical equipment will be delivered soon.

In terms of co-operation in human resource development and education, China has gradually expanded the scale of the training programme for Kenyan officials and technicians and organised multilateral and bilateral training courses. Over the last three years, the number of trainees have increased steadily from 158 in 2009 to 398 last year. The training also covered a wide spectrum, including economy and trade, agriculture, medical service, communication and education, among others.

New energy

With regard to co-operation in development and use of new energy, China has agreed to provide Kenya with 490 sets of small scale solar energy equipment, constructed the Irati Small Hydropower Station and the Chemoisit Small Hydropower Stations; and drilled seven boreholes in the Eastern and Rift Valley provinces. The use of new energy is a key development strategy pursued by Kenya to drive the other major sectors of the economy.

With regard to credit and financing, China has offered concessional loans and preferential export buyer’s credit to support a large number of infrastructure projects and social development projects in Kenya with a total credit amounting to billions of RMB Yuan.

These include Nairobi Eastern and Northern Bypass, Nairobi Southern Bypass, Nairobi-Thika Highway (Lot 3), Kenya Power Distribution Upgrading and Strengthening Project, Kenya E-government Project, Technical Industrial Vocational Entrepreneurship Training Project, Olkaria Geothermal Field Production Well Drilling and Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital.

China has also offered Special Loan for the Development of African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Africa to support the Kenyan SMEs in the areas of tea production, power generation, rural power grids and regional aviation.