Kenya's Economic Development since 2000: The Role of China's Economic Engagement

Over the past two decades, China-Africa economic relations have developed considerably since the establishment of the first forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000. Both need each other in terms of trade whilst for Kenya Chinese economic development assistance comes without any conditions. Moreover, China’s Belt and Road (BRI) has been billed as the single most significant undertaking by the country on the international stage. China’s extensive economic engagement in Kenya, especially through its flagship BRI projects, raises important questions with respect to its contribution to Kenyan economic development. This article therefore analyses the economic development implications for Kenya of China’s economic engagement, over the last two decades, with a specific focus upon infrastructural investment as the main instrument of Kenyan economic development. Infrastructure development theory is used in this paper, since it is a theory of long-run development based on public infrastructure as the engine of growth. Therefore, this paper evaluates the development implications for Kenya of its deepening economic engagement with China through a case study of multiple infrastructure projects by Chinese companies to improve Kenya’s transport system such as the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). The principal conclusions of this article emphasize the importance of China's infrastructure investment as one of the major factors in Kenya's economic development since 2000, despite negative public perceptions and critiques. But, this paper also identifies policy lessons for other countries in East Africa in terms of the Chinese economic development model and the vital importance of infrastructural investment for national economic development.