China and Japan compete in Africa

Synopsis

In Kenya, banners marking the country's largest infrastructure project highlight the involvement of Chinese Engineers. The project, a 450 km railway from Mombasa to Nairobi, represents a $5 billion investment and is backed by Chinese Premier Le Kang and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. While Chinese Engineers supervise the project, local laborers work alongside them, continuing a legacy of British railway construction from over a century ago. This ambitious project is notable for being on budget and ahead of schedule, contrasting with previous Chinese investments in Africa that were often poorly executed. Despite positive relations between Kenyans and Chinese workers, concerns about the overall value for money of this investment persist, as it remains more expensive than similar projects globally. The standard gauge railway and other Chinese construction efforts in Nairobi are set to transform Kenya, but officials recognize the need to ensure that these developments deliver genuine prosperity for the local population.