President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to Beijing for the 2018 China-Africa summit scored big wins for Kenya with Chinese private investors lining up for public-private partnership deals worth billions of shillings.
The major deals a 30-kilometre expressway running from JKIA across the city and development of Dongo Kundu industrial Special Economic Zone in Mombasa.
Two major roads in North Eastern will also be constructed through the public-private investments.
The two roads, Modogashe-Habaswein-Samatar and Elwak-Rhamu road will cost Sh15 billion and would be constructed through a partnership involving Chinese private companies under the Kenya government’s roads annuity program...
The new partnerships are seen as a quick result of Kenya’s desire to shift away from pure debt financing with the new emphasis being placed on Public-Private Partnerships and the need to explore innovative off-balance sheet financing for the country’s infrastructure needs.
The revelations came on a day that President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of more deals between Kenya and China
The agreements were signed at the Great Hall of the People where the two leaders held bilateral talks focusing on strengthening the comprehensive and strategic partnership existing between Kenya and China.
The leaders discussed the construction of the Phase 2B of the Standard Gauge Railway covering the section from Naivasha to Kisumu.
During the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of an agreement for funding the construction of the Western Bypass to complete the road network that was designed to ease the city’s perennial traffic problems.
Kenya and China further signed a Cooperation agreement within the Framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative that is being spearheaded by the Chinese Government, which aims to foster shared prosperity among nations.
President Uhuru said Kenya appreciates China’s demonstrated commitment in supporting Kenya’s development goals
“It is my ambition that we shall continue to strengthen our strategic and comprehensive partnership,” said President Uhuru.
The University of Nairobi, Kenya Railways Corporation and Beijing Jiaotong University also signed a MoU in support of training railway engineers and managers for SGR operations and management at the sidelines of the FOCAC summit. The agreement was signed by the UoN Vice-Chancellor Prof Peter Mbithi and KRC Ag Managing Director Philip Mainga.
President Uhuru was accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries Monica Juma (Foreign Affairs), Henry Rotich (National Treasury), James Macharia (Transport and Infrastructure) and Peter Munya (Trade and Industry).
Principal Secretaries Kamau Thugge (National Treasury), Julius Korir (Infrastructure) and Esther Koimett (Transport).