Kidero receives Sh80 billion in pledges from China

By Cyrus Ombati

NAIROBI, KENYA: Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has received pledges worth more than Sh80 billion, which will be used to turn around the county’s infrastructure development from Chinese investors.

Kidero said Tuesday he had held a meeting with the President and Executive Chairman of the China Investment Bank, on the prospects of funding the urban re-generation of the Eastlands area.

The money will be used to address the menace of housing in Eastlands where old county houses stand, the city’s transit transport system and the funding of the nine transport corridors to open up traffic in the city.

“The bank is more than willing to invest in Nairobi County and its Chairman Hu Huai Bang will soon be visiting for us to fine tune the loose ends of the deal, which will transform Nairobi County into a major transit hub using all means of transport, from road, rail, rapid transit buses and planes,” Kidero.

The meeting took place at the Diaoyutai State Guest House Villa Five.

Kidero who is in the President Kenyatta’s entourage added some Chinese investors had proposed to fund the second phase of the Digital Traffic and Security Control, where cameras will be installed in 253 major junctions across the city from Mowlem area in Embakasi West to Karen.

“We also got commitments for the health care sector where statistics show that there are 7.6 million hospital visits per year in Nairobi while my government has 83 hospitals, clinics and dispensaries. This will be upgraded to digital imaging systems,” he said.

Kidero was also taken on a tour of Foton Daimler Assembly Plant in Beijing in the company firm's Senior Vice President Qian Zi Jun.

The Assembly Plant produces over 100,000 motor vehicle units per annum.

“If they set up a plant in Nairobi it will be a major step towards developing the county's transport infrastructure as well as addressing the problem of youth unemployment in the city,” he said.

And the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry National Chairman Mr. Kiprono Kittony arrived in China as the head of a 69-member trade and business delegation to the Asian country.

He will join President Kenyatta to execute a major push to woo Chinese investors and carry out negotiations aimed at achieving trade balance with the Asian economic giant.

“This tour is critical for our country’s business aspirations. We will be looking to partner with Chinese firms to attain value addition of Kenyan products before export. This is one of the ways of achieving trade balance that is currently hugely in favour of China," Mr. Kittony said.

The delegation is from different sector of the Kenyan economy, which include hospitality, banking and finance, mining, transport, building and construction, energy and agriculture.

Mr. Kittony challenged Chinese investors to set up companies in Kenya and manufacture locally for export to the Chinese market. 

Mr. Kittony said Kenya was well positioned to be the manufacturing, education, medical, transport hub in the East, Central and the horn of Africa region.