Chinese investments pivotal to Kenya's progress: Analyst

NAIROBI - China, a pivotal country to Kenya's progress, has injected needed investments to open up resource-rich but long-unexploited regions in the African country, said a Kenyan analyst in an interview with Xinhua.

"China's investments and economic cooperation in least developed countries (LDCs) has catalyzed these nations' economic development," said Stephen Ndegwa, a lecturer at MultiMedia University.

"It has motivated innovations that are both relevant and affordable in their national development needs," said Ndegwa, also a public policy analyst in Kenya.

He took the China-contracted mine coal in Lamu County as an example, saying the multi-million dollar project will not only increase Kenya's power supply substantially, but also open up the hitherto-underdeveloped area for more investments.

Ndegwa said Chinese establishment of manufacturing industries has expanded LDCs markets for raw materials and helped to add value at home.

"The ensuing technological transfer will be invaluable in the medium to long term as more indigenous people acquire and utilize new, modern skills of doing business and procuring goods and services," said Ndegwa.

With the recent launch of operation of Kenya's Mombasa-Nairobi railway, China's remarkable infrastructure capabilities are again being highlighted and promoting regional interconnectivity.

Ndegwa regarded this railway as a game-changer, saying the project is ushering Kenya in a new era in the transport of goods and people from the coast to the hinterland and vice versa.

The Chinese-built 472-km-long Standard Gauge Railway linking Kenya's capital Nairobi and East Africa's biggest port city Mombasa comes as part of ambitious efforts to build a 2,700-km East Africa corridor connecting Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and other East African countries.

Not only Chinese businesses but also Chinese businessmen have acted as role models in this eastern African country.

Chinese business magnate Jack Ma visited Kenya in July and lectured young entrepreneurs on the virtues of hard work, resilience and empathy, which was hailed as historic by citizens from all walks of life.

"The recent visit by Jack Ma has helped to change the perception of youth in the country by inspiring them with the limitless potential of their ideas," said Ndegwa.