Key projects launched as part of Belt and Road Initiative

Changed outlook

With implementation of the BRI, numerous major infrastructure projects have become operational in Africa, promoting social and economic development, changing the outlook for cities and towns, and transforming the lives of millions of people.

Since the initiative was proposed by China in 2013, nearly all African countries have joined it. Worldwide, as of the end of July, 149 countries and 32 international organizations had signed more than 200 cooperation documents with China to jointly build the BRI — involving over 3,000 projects with total investment of nearly $1 trillion.

Putting the BRI into context, Chinese companies have supported African nations in constructing some 100,000 km of roads, more than 10,000 km of railways, nearly 100 ports, and numerous hospitals and schools over the past years, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

In Kenya, at least 400 Chinese companies have set up subsidiaries with a key focus on infrastructure, retail and real estate, according to the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry. With help from China and other partners, Kenya has built more than 11,500 km of new paved roads, with the country's network of such roads growing by more than 85 percent in the past 10 years.

In addition to the Nairobi Expressway, the China-built and funded Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway celebrated its fifth anniversary in May.

The 480-km line connecting Kenya's two largest cities is a flagship BRI project and Kenya's largest infrastructure project since it gained independence in 1963. It cuts the journey time between the two cities from more than eight hours to five.

Since May 2017, when the railway opened, more than 7 million trips have been made and 19.8 million metric tons of goods have been carried along the line, according to Africa Star Railway, the operating company.

The line has become a top option among Kenyans and foreigners traveling between the coastal city of Mombasa and the capital, according to the company.

In addition, the railway generated nearly $128 million in revenue from passenger and freight services last year alone, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. It has also created thousands of jobs for locals.

Dennis Munene, executive director of the China-Africa Center at the Africa Policy Institute in Kenya, said the BRI has transformed Kenya's infrastructure development and is in line with the national strategy, Kenya's Vision 2030.

The BRI has become an inextricable part of the story of a rising Kenya and Africa, he said.

"Through the BRI in Kenya, China has supported modern infrastructure projects such as railways, expansion of roads, and construction of ports, dams, industries, digital connectivity and airports, all of which have injected vitality into Kenya's economic and development growth," Munene added.