During President William Ruto’s 2025 state visit to China, Kenya signed 20 strategic agreements aimed at deepening cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, transport, trade, technology, education, and health. Key highlights include the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway, direct flights between Nairobi and Beijing, enhanced agricultural exports to China, and collaboration on Kenya’s digital economy and universal health coverage. The agreements also touch on defense cooperation, vocational training, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and the development of Special Economic Zones. These moves reflect a major pivot towards China as Kenya seeks to diversify its development partnerships amid shifting global alliances.
Overview…
Kenya-China Agreements Overview
- Infrastructure Development
- Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Extension: Plans to extend the SGR from Naivasha to Malaba, enhancing regional connectivity.
- Road Projects: Upgrades to the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit highway, Eldoret and Kiambu bypasses, and the construction of the Nithi Bridge.
- Rural Roads: Construction of 15 rural roads through a RMB 2 billion credit facility from China Development Bank.
- 2. Transportation and Connectivity
- Direct Flights: Exploration of direct flights between Nairobi and Beijing to boost economic and cultural ties.
- Intelligent Transport System: Implementation of Nairobi’s Intelligent Transport System to improve urban mobility.
- 3. Trade and Economic Cooperation
- Agricultural Exports: China agreed to grant greater access to Kenyan agricultural products, including tea, coffee, avocados, and macadamia nuts.
- Special Economic Zones: Establishment of a Special Economic Zone in Kilifi County focusing on manufacturing and processing.
- 4. Education and Technology
- Vocational Training: Support for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs to enhance skills development.
- Digital Economy: Collaboration on Kenya’s National Digital Superhighway Programme and support for Konza Technopolis initiatives.
- Health and Pharmaceuticals
- Universal Health Coverage (UHC): Grants to bolster Kenya’s UHC efforts, including hospital infrastructure improvements.
- Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Investment in local pharmaceutical manufacturing to ensure medicine and vaccine availability.
- 6. Security and Law Enforcement
- Policing Cooperation: Strengthening ties to combat transnational crimes such as human trafficking, drug smuggling, and cybercrime.
- Defense Collaboration: Agreements on personnel training, defense industry cooperation, and counterterrorism measures.
- 7. Financial Cooperation
- Panda Bonds: Exploration of issuing Panda Bonds to diversify Kenya’s financing sources.
- Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB): Kenya’s membership in AIIB to access concessional financing for infrastructure and climate change projects.
- 8. Agriculture and Food Security
- Galana Kulalu Project: Collaboration on the Galana Kulalu Food Security Project to enhance agricultural productivity.
- Agricultural Investments: Chinese companies investing in large-scale poultry projects and aloe cultivation in various counties.
- Renewable Energy and E-Mobility
- Renewable Energy: Encouragement of Chinese private sector investment in renewable energy and e-mobility sectors.
- Smart Traffic Components: Development of a smart traffic components hub in Mombasa and a factory in Murang’a.
- 10. Cultural and Creative Economy
- Creative Economy: Support for Kenya’s creative economy initiatives, including the development of the hospitality sector to make Nairobi a regional convention hub.
- These agreements signify a strategic shift in Kenya’s foreign relations, emphasizing infrastructure development, economic growth, and technological advancement through strengthened ties with China.