President William Ruto's upcoming visit to China aims to seal deals on extending the standard gauge railway from Naivasha to Malaba through Kisumu and dualing the Nairobi Northern bypass. He will join other African leaders at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, a high-profile event focused on enhancing Sino-African relations and exploring new collaboration avenues.
The summit, themed “Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” emphasizes leveraging comparative advantages for industrial and socio-economic development. Discussions will focus on policies and programs for a prosperous future for both regions.
President Ruto will co-chair a session on “Pursuing High-Quality Belt and Road Initiative Cooperation,” highlighting Kenya's significant role in the initiative. Kenya has been a crucial partner in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, leading to transformative infrastructure projects like the Standard Gauge Railway, Nairobi Expressway, Kipevu Oil Terminal, and key bypasses in Nairobi.
During his visit, President Ruto will participate in high-profile meetings to strengthen Kenya-China relations, aiming for strategic partnerships, infrastructure development support, and new cooperation projects. He will also discuss establishing a pharmaceutical park, a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), and an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) to expand collaboration.
China remains one of Kenya’s largest trading partners, with bilateral trade volumes exceeding $8 billion (KSh. 1.04 trillion) between 2022 and 2023. President Ruto’s visit aims to diversify and expand this partnership into new sectors, including agriculture, food security, the creative economy, e-commerce, manufacturing, health, environmental conservation, and financial services. These efforts align with Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and are expected to create job opportunities for Kenyan youth and women.
Additionally, President Ruto will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to strengthen ties and explore new cooperation areas. He will also meet with other African leaders, including those from Senegal and Algeria, to foster regional cooperation.
Moreover, the President will attend the China-Africa Entrepreneurs Conference, a platform for African and Chinese business leaders to explore investment opportunities in infrastructure, health, manufacturing, ICT, e-mobility, agriculture, and value addition. He will meet with major Chinese corporations to pitch for increased investment in Kenya’s infrastructure, healthcare, and technology sectors.
President Ruto’s visit to Beijing is expected to mark a new chapter in Kenya-China relations, potentially delivering significant economic benefits and development opportunities for Kenya.