By KENFREY KIBERENGE
When President Kibaki announced Kenya had struck oil in Turkana last month, citizens were glad the discovery would bring an end to poverty.
But miles away in Europe, a different kind of elation took place: Media houses chest-thumped that it was a home-grown company that had struck the oil first, beating competitors from other countries like China.
Chinese President Hu Jintao on a visit to Nairobi. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD] |
Oil discovery
But it would later emerge that Tullow Oil had used Chinese technology that made it possible to locate the oil deposits in Ngamia 1, effectively handing the bragging rights to the Asian country.
This best captured the silent rivalry between Western countries and China in the race to win or retain developing countries, only second to the cold war era, pitting the US against former Soviet Union.
In Kenya, the West’s frustrations were highlighted a few weeks ago by a public outburst by French ambassador Etienne de Poncins that President Kibaki had become extremely difficult to reach.
While such complaint would have ordinarily attracted an outright apology from State House, President Kibaki instead appeared to savour the moment, seeking to explain why Kenya had shunned the West in favour of East.
"The President has been strategic and has not been unreachable to any nation that works for the good of the Kenyan people and appreciates the role played by external partners in endeavours to uplift the lives of Kenyans and citizens of neighbouring states," read a dispatch from the PPS.
Diplomatic policy
It pointed out that the President’s diplomatic policy was being guided by Kenya’s present view of changing geo-political dynamics, which entail an understanding of the West and East convergence on world affairs in an ever-changing environment.
"China and Japan have emerged as strategic development partners of Kenya especially in the area of infrastructure development that has been a key pillar of the President’s agenda," the PPS statement added.
But while the war existed only in media analysis, the move by the Western diplomats and Kibaki’s administration to engage in a public sparring is raising eyebrows. Diplomat Maria Nzomo gives props to Kibaki for making the Western envoys wait like everyone else.
"This is long overdue and the President is in order. We have been very generous giving them preferential treatment," charged Prof Nzomo.
Coming hot in the heels of Kibaki’s admission of giving Europe a cold shoulder is Roads Minister Franklin Bett’s sentiments on a local TV station on Tuesday that the Government had opted to deal with China due to the bureaucratic nature of obtaining funds from the West.
"Like the southern bypass in Nairobi, we took 10 years to discuss with the World Bank and nothing was forthcoming. When we went to the Chinese, the discussions lasted just three months and today, they are already on the ground," said the Roads minister.
UK invitation
And on Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Ongeri revealed how President Kibaki declined an invitation to visit the United Kingdom two years ago.
He said Kibaki had been invited by former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for talks at No 10 Downing Street and was scheduled to also meet Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace but Kenyan authorities declined to accept the invitation after concluding it was "not appropriate to execute the visit".
"The President was invited by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The invitation was for March 23 and 24, 2010, and it included a call on the Queen and meetings with Brown," disclosed Prof Ongeri when he appeared before the Parliamentary Defence and Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday. But he said the full reasons for Kibaki’s refusal to meet the British could not be said "in the full flare of (media) cameras."
The West has seen its influence politically and economically in Kenya, and by extension in Africa, wane by the day.
Nzomo argues the Western diplomats have been breaking existing procedures, which explains their frustrations when Kenya finally decides to uphold them.
"Let them queue up. I have been a diplomat in more than four countries and I have never gone to a State House without an appointment. I have also never gone to the media criticising any of their policies," added Nzomo.
According to her, things went haywire for the diplomats the day Kenya diversified her relations to incorporate not just China but also regional integration.
Traditional allies
Data from the Kenya Investment Authority showed that China, South Africa, India and South Korea were the top five sources of foreign direct investment for Kenya in 2010, beating the traditional toppers such like UK, Germany and the Netherlands.
China pumped a total investment of Sh40.2 billion into Kenya that year, while developed economies, among them, Germany, Canada, Israel and Italy invested less than Sh500 million in Kenya last year.
In practical terms, Foton Motors is currently constructing a Sh1.2 billion assembly plant along Mombasa Road, while Chery Automobiles has mooted plans to build a assembly plant in the country.
On the continental front, trade between China and Africa surpassed Sh10 trillion ($120 billion) in 2010. And in the previous two years, China had given more loans to poor countries, mainly in Africa, than the World Bank. The Heritage Foundation, an American think-tank, estimated that in 2005-10 about 14 per cent of China’s investment abroad found its way to sub-Saharan Africa.
