If there is a single infrastructure project that clearly defines our relationship with China, it’s certainly the Standard Gauge Railway project. The real mainstay of this project is cargo, since the commuter section cannot possibly sustain the viability of the infrastructure. This means Kenya is a net importer of goods, especially from China. Kenya owes China more than Sh1.3 trillion, in commercial loans at very high-interest rates of between 9 to 17 per cent. Any agreements between us and them should be made public, including local content shareholding, the number of Chinese working in the project, technology transfer timelines and volumes, and conditions to boost local manufacturing and assembling of products.

Source: The Star November 16, 2019 05:15 UTC