China has taken its cooperation with Kenya a notch higher with the launch of the inaugural China-Kenya friendship games, a colourful sporting festival bringing together more than 700 participants from 19 Chinese enterprises operating in the country.
Organised by the Kenya China Economic and Trade Association (KCETA) and supported by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Kenya, the event marks a flagship activity of the 2025 Kenya-China Cultural Season and a fresh expression of the growing people-to-people ties between the two nations.
The participating companies include major Chinese establishments shaping Kenya’s economic landscape-China Aerospace, CRBC, Huawei, Moja Expressway Company, Startimes, Kilimall, Twyford Ceramics, and several firms in the railway construction and operations sector.
Held at the Nyayo stadium, the track and field events seek not only to promote wellness and teamwork but also to strengthen cultural bonds between Kenyans and Chinese professionals working across diverse industries.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan said the games were a vivid demonstration of the flourishing relationship between the two countries.
“Sports is the bridge transcending languages and borders,” she said.
The games, she noted, are not only an important event of the 2025 China-Kenya Culture and tourism season but also “a vivid example of active cultural exchanges between our two countries.”
Ambassador Guo praised Chinese companies in Kenya for their role in national development and job creation.
She noted that between 2022 and 2023, the firms hired over 60,000 local employees, representing 90 per cent of their workforce, and had continued to expand their partnerships in infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology.
“With the ever-growing China-Kenya relations, many Chinese enterprises came to Kenya with friendship,” she said.
“Together with local partners, they have built manufacturing factories and transport arteries, propelling economic development and promoting the well-being of the people.”
She urged participants to uphold the spirit of “friendship first, competition second,” adding that every moment of teamwork on the field would further “make the flowers of China-Kenya friendship flourish.”
Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi who was present hailed the games as a powerful symbol of people-to-people diplomacy and encouraged stronger collaboration in sports science and athlete development.
“These games are more than a sporting competition. They are a celebration of the human connections that anchor our cooperation in trade, technology, manufacturing and national development,” he said.
Mwangi said Kenya stood to benefit from China’s advances in sports science, including athlete monitoring technologies, injury-prevention systems, and data-driven coaching methods.
In return, he invited Chinese athletes to take advantage of Kenya’s world-famous high-altitude training hubs in Iten, Eldoret, Nandi and Nyandarua.
He outlined ongoing investments under President William Ruto’s administration, including nationwide sports academies, revamped training facilities, and upgraded national stadiums, efforts he said could benefit from China’s proven sports academy model.
China’s long-standing support to Kenya’s sports infrastructure was also highlighted, from the construction of the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani in the 1980s to the current Talanta Sports Complex, the 60,000-seater modern stadium now nearing completion.
Mwangi encouraged KCETA member companies to continue supporting Kenya’s sports sector through sponsorships, wellness programs, youth competitions and facility development.
KCETA chairman Yu Xiaodong on his part said the games symbolised a growing partnership rooted in cooperation, shared goals and mutual respect.
“Sports are a universal language. Through every cheer, every moment of teamwork, and every act of support, we are writing a new chapter of China-Kenya friendship,” he said.
Yu noted that Chinese enterprises had been active contributors to Kenya’s economic growth, from the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway to industrial manufacturing and community projects. He said the Friendship Games now added “a youthful, dynamic and vibrant layer” to that cooperation.
He thanked the Chinese Embassy and Kenyan government for their support and encouraged participants to enjoy the competition while upholding the Olympic spirit of “Faster, Higher, Stronger-Together.”
“As you strive for excellence, remember that regardless of winning or losing, you are all champions of China-Kenya friendship,” he told the athletes.
