Is China Kenya's largest creditor? No way! 'debt trap' claim is misleading

The JKIA-Westlands Expressway is financed by a Chinese-based company. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Kenya owes less than 10 per cent of its public debt, or, less than 20 per cent of its foreign debt, to Chinese creditors. Therefore, labelling China as Kenya’s main creditor is an overstatement.

Western investors, often in forms of multi-lateral financial institutions and commercial creditors, are the largest creditors of African countries including Kenya.