CRI听力:Kenyan Govn't Hails Long-lasting Cooperation and Helpful Assistance from China

In a recent report released by the International Monetary Fund, infrastructure was said to be the biggest challenge facing developing countries in their bid towards economic growth. The Kenyan government with the assistance from China has empowered the Public Private Partnership, which in turn has greatly contributed to infrastructure development countrywide.

CRI's Nairobi correspondent Wei Tong has more.



For the past two years, the Kenyan economy has recorded tremendous growth due to countrywide infrastructure development. Good relations enjoyed between Kenya and China have seen Kenyan roads and housing sectors receive a boost in technology, quality and quantity from Chinese construction companies.

According to the Minister of Roads, Franklin Bett, his ministry's continued working relations with Chinese companies is because of the quality and speed of their work.

"I must say I am impressed by the way you put up bridges, the technology you use is quite exciting and very advanced and we are happy with it. We have confidence that you can undertake any construction works of road, bridges without any hitch. There are also opportunities in railway building. There is a plan by the government to do a railway line jointly by the government of Uganda from Mombasa all the way to Kampala which is a standard gauge for both Uganda and Kenya. I also hope as you do all this you are also leaving knowledge with our people that is by involving our people as much into learning more of the road construction and other engineering work so that we can benefit by technological transfer."

He said during his official visit to China in October, he was impressed by the technology used in making roads and bridges in the cities. He was further impressed by the realization that the same companies that carry out road and railway construction in China are competing for similar jobs here in Kenya.

The Permanent Secretary in the Roads Ministry Michael Kamau said Kenya has continued to highly benefit from loans, grants and technology from China despite the global recession.

"We are particularly very grateful to the Chinese government especially for their financial assistance to Kenya over the last three years. You know we just signed the contract for the Eastern and Northern Bypass to the tune of eight billion. We have finalized the negotiations for a concessional loan and they are giving us a loan of over nine billion Kenyan shillings. So that speaks volumes and that is just in the roads sector."

Kamau commended the dedication put forward by Chinese companies in completing their contracts on time.

"Their work ethics is very good they work very hard. I was on Thika road on Sunday 5 o'clock and the contractor was working there on Sunday 5 o'clock, 5pm! I passed through there at 10 o'clock, they are working very hard and throughout so that is the sort of thing that we want to see. We have to become an everyday economy before we become a 24-hour economy and that is something Kenyans have to learn."

The deputy manager of a Chinese civil engineering company, China Railways Group Zhou Mengbo says his company has heavily invested in Africa.

"Our company has heavily invested in Africa including Kenya, South Africa, Cote D'Ivoire, Mali and Angola. The results have been good and this has highly contributed to the increase in our company shares in African countries."

Zhou Mengbo says they also face a lot of challenges while expanding their business in Africa.

"I think the biggest advantage we have is technology, low costs and funding of construction projects. Moreover, we are faced with varied challenges such as getting mutual cooperation with the countries we are working with. This increases the risks of doing business with them because anything can happen. However, we are determined to complete our projects despite these challenges."

China Railways Group has two major ongoing projects in Kenya notably the construction of Athi River-Namaga road and reconstruction of Kisumu Airport.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Housing Soita Shitanda saidf thanks to China, his ministry will now be able to build more than 50 thousand housing units for middle-income Kenyans, the first 100 units are now under construction.

"This project is very important in that it is going to avail 105 houses to Kenyans which means that 105 Kenyans benefit by being the proud owners of these houses. The Chinese companies are playing a very key role in terms of helping us as a developing country realize some of our challenges especially in the area of infrastructure."

This means that Kenya and other African countries are on the road to economic growth with the assistance of China. These and other ongoing projects in different sectors would definitely improve the living standards of Africans.

Wei Tong, CRI News, Nairobi, Kenya.