How we wrote to President Xi and got a reply – Jamlick Kariuki

Luke 17:11-19 narrates the story of 10 lepers whom Jesus healed as he travelled from Galilee to Jerusalem. Only one of them returned to thank Jesus.  

In October last year, more than 40 Kenyans, who were among the 100 who secured government scholarships to study railway operation and management, co-signed a letter thanking China President Xi Jinping for the opportunity. 

The initiative was led by Jamlick Mwangi Kariuki, a 26-year-old student pursuing a master's degree in Civil Engineering at Beijing Jiaotong University.

China Scholarship Council's database shows that since 1983, the Chinese government has supported 1,985 Kenyan students with full scholarships. 

While previous beneficiaries might have expressed their gratitude to the Chinese government through other avenues, this cohort opted for a letter. 

It is, however, interesting how Kariuki, himself not gifted in terms of height, towered above everyone else and not only caught the attention of the President of the second most powerful country in the world but also got a reply to the letter. 

So impactful was the gesture that it featured during the bilateral talks between China Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi and Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi on January 25, drew wide coverage by Chinese and Kenyan media and caught the attention of various corporations and universities in China. 

Kenya's Embassy in China organised a reception for Kariuki and his colleagues, Vicky Wangeci, Washington Aburiri, Derrick Mwaniki and Mary Wamai, where he narrated how the idea was conceptualised and executed, and the reaction he didn't expect.

The journey started in 2016, when 100 students secured the scholarships facilitated by the China Road and Bridge Corporation, the contractor for SGR Phase I.  

The group arrived in three batches, the first lot of 25 in 2016, the second of 35 in 2017 of which four of the Kariuki team were part of, and the third batch in 2018. 

"To us, it was an exceptional, robust and equipping opportunity, and with more privileges as we could fly home once every year and provided with internships every holiday," said Kariuki, the secondborn in a family of six from Webuye.

He was the appointed leader of the second cohort.

When they returned to Kenya after graduation, they found their cake served, with jobs waiting for them at Kenya Railways. 

After working for two years, some sought to further their studies and that's how they returned to China in September 2023 for their master's degree. 

THE IDEA

When he arrived in Beijing, plans were in top gear for the Third Belt and Road Initiative Forum, and President William Ruto was set to attend, his maiden visit to China since assuming office. 

That is how the idea came about.  

After their bachelor's degree, they went back and thanked the Kenya Railways, CRBC and the Kenyan government. 

"So, this time round, I thought now that our President, the Chinese government led by President Xi Jinping, our embassy and CRBC, all the stakeholders will be present in one room, how about we address a letter to President Xi Jinping?"

Kariuki acknowledged that writing was not a challenge but how to send it to reach the President's desk was. Some protocols needed to be followed.  

"I consulted with the school, the Centre for International Education, drafted the letter in which we gave an update that we studied in China, had a good time, graduated and are now working in Kenya. 'We thank you for creating such an initiative in which many young people have benefited and continue to benefit'," he said. 

"Then we thought, what could we gift him? I don't think there is anything expensive we could have imagined because, well, our wealth status compared to his is nothing comparable. The wealth we have right now is in ideas. That's how we thought to gift him an SGR train ticket from Nairobi to Mombasa".  

He bought an SGR ticket online and customised it with the President's name, the travel date set for October 18—18 being a lucky number for the Chinese.

The letter was sent to Kenya to have their colleagues in Nairobi sign.

The Chinese embassy last month hosted a reception for the representatives in Nairobi, among them Everline Mugenya, Tafawa Patricia and Issa Abdiriza. 

The letter was ready on October 13 ahead of the conference on October 17. 

While they really didn't expect a response, it came after three months and with it attention, recognition and a celebrity status they were not ready for.  

"To us, and to me personally, I didn't think it was something so big until I saw the reception from the Chinese, including the president of our school...We came to learn how big it was when the media arrived the next day. We had a whole day of interviews, media houses lining up to interview us," Kariuki said.  

He received congratulatory calls from among others China's embassy in Nairobi, CRBC general manager in Kenya and AfriStar MD. 

The team in Beijing was also invited to CRBC's end-of-year party and met the president of China Communications Construction Company. 

It was a big deal because it is not every day that the president of a global power with a population of 1.4 billion and so much to attend to will reply to a letter from a foreign student. 

Only about three or four universities have received such letters. 

"Our response was customised, long enough to tell you someone sat down and wrote [it], and even acknowledged receipt of the train ticket. That to me was the epitome of it," Kariuki said.

"That's how I came to appreciate the small gestures such as being grateful. That was the gesture we were passing". 

In his reply, President Xi encouraged the engineers to continue contributing to Kenya-China ties, as well as the friendship between China and Africa. 

"Xi Jinping said China and Kenya enjoy a time-honoured friendship. The Belt and Road Initiative has turned the ideals of development and revitalisation of China and Kenya into reality, and closely linked the well-being of the two peoples,” the Foreign ministry said. 

Chairman Xi said the SGR is a flagship project and a successful example of China-Kenya BRI cooperation, and that he is glad to see they have bonded with China "through this road to happiness and that they are witnesses, beneficiaries, and, more importantly, builders and disseminators of the China-Kenya and China-Africa friendship and cooperation".  

But it just didn't happen.

Kariuki, an alumnus of Starehe Boys' Centre and School, studied his undergraduate in 2017-21 and was involved in various activities. 

He served as the representative of Kenyan students at Beijing Jiatong University, which gave him the platform to participate in other activities. 

He was the president of international students, through which he carried out sports and cultural exchanges and received honorary awards. He also received the Excellent Graduate Award. 

Returning just ahead of the BRI Forum, CCTV-13 was looking for international students to tell their BRI stories and the university forwarded his name, as did other institutions. He was featured by the TV station in October. 

Following that interview, he performed as an engineer trained in China at the Beijing Night for international students on recommendation by his university. His efforts were also recognised through a feature article by Beijing Daily. 

"It was in the midst of these activities that this idea of writing directly to the President came about,” Kariuki told the Star. 

The letter and the attention it has drawn, he said, will open more doors for Kenyans not only at his school but also in other universities as they are now more welcoming. He believes the SGR, with its extension, still needs more engineers, skills and technology. 

He thanked Ambassador Willy Bett and the embassy for the invitation to share the experience, look at the opportunities the developments might bring and how best to forge forward to make use of such opportunities. 

Bett congratulated the engineers, saying they had added a brick in building the Kenya-China relations. 

"During bilateral talks between Minister Wang Yi and PCS Mudavadi, Wang Yi brought [up] this issue for the first time. That's when I realised it was not only something big to you, the students, but also to the minister. He didn't say it lightly," he said.  

"It was a weighty matter that the President of this country could read a letter and decide that we need to reply to this student from Kenya for appreciating what China has done. So, you didn't do it only for yourselves. It has improved the relations between Kenya and China.  

"If Wang Yi was to give us one hour, we stayed for three hours. I want to believe the reason we had the entire leeway is because the Chinese have realised Kenyans are grateful people".  

Deputy Head of Mission Amb Lynnete Mwende-Ndile, herself a Beihang University alumna, congratulated the team, even as she urged other students to be indispensable, take initiative, get involved and work hard. 

Mwende, who is fluent in Chinese, said going the extra mile with the Jiaotong programme demonstrated how far the students are willing to go to secure their future. 

"Some say don't work hard, work smart. But you must put in the work. You get to work smart after gaining experience and the ambassador will tell you he has worked for over 35 years. He can say he is working smart as he has already put in the work,” she said.  

Education attaché Innocent Mogunde, who coordinated the reception, congratulated the engineers, saying he was proud to be associated with them, a key highlight as he proceeds on retirement at the end of the month.

Students’ representatives termed him the best education attaché they have had, as he was accessible and had visited different universities since his posting in 2022.  

Wambui Kiarie, Kenyans Studying in China Association president, said the engineers have done the Kenyan fraternity in China proud as "many institutions want to be associated with this name that has been addressed by the President".  

"As KESCA president, I am proud of you, and I believe this is a catalyst for more opportunities. I also hope that now that you are role models, other students will look up to you and believe they can also do something," she said.  

Eng Yvonne Kendi, Kenya Students Association in Beijing president, said the letter to Chairman Xi demonstrated not only the engineers' admiration for the programme, but also the importance of devotion, hard work, and the power of a unified voice.

"Chairman Xi Jinping's response is a personal recognition of your initiative, and it serves as an inspiration to all of us," she said.

"Let this be a lesson for all of us. Embrace initiative, express your aspirations and gratitude and strive for excellence".