Sustainable development
cooperation
Significant efforts have been made under the Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation (FOCAC), where China has launched global development
initiatives aimed at realizing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Kenya, serving as the entry point for the Belt and Road Initiative in
Africa, occupies a strategic position to benefit from numerous
partnerships and projects under the Initiative. For instance, Nairobi
presents direct investment opportunities for Chinese firms and serves as
a gateway to the rest of Africa, while also facilitating the export of
its resources.
China’s poverty alleviation efforts have led to the upliftment of over
800 million people worldwide in the past three decades. Since the
establishment of Sino-Kenya ties through the Belt and Road initiative a
decade ago, Kenya has witnessed remarkable socio-economic development
across various sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare,
housing, transportation, and industrialization. Numerous development
projects are underway to ensure a stable economy in Kenya, with the
current President, like his predecessors, advocating for increased
collaboration with China to further enhance infrastructural development
such as the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway from Suswa to
Malaba, highways, aviation, renewable energy, and water resources,
aligning with the vision outlined in Mwai Kibaki’s Vision 2030.
Therefore, for the Sino-Kenyan relations to reach its full potential, it
is important to recognize that positive outcomes can be achieved when
the leadership and populations of both nations appreciate and
effectively utilize cooperation through constructive dialogue, trust,
and enduring friendship.