Kenyans rate China’s influence above US and EU, survey shows

A new survey indicates that Kenyans view China’s influence on their country more favorably than that of either the United States or the European Union, according to Business Daily. The findings add to a growing body of polling across Africa that suggests Beijing’s profile as a partner and investor has strengthened significantly in recent years.

Kenya’s relationship with China has expanded markedly since the early 2000s, with Beijing emerging as one of Nairobi’s largest bilateral creditors and trading partners. Chinese firms have been involved in flagship infrastructure projects, including the Standard Gauge Railway linking the port city of Mombasa to the capital, and have financed road upgrades, energy installations and affordable housing developments under the country’s broader development plans.

Analysts have linked the comparatively positive perception of China to the visibility of those tangible projects, which have reshaped daily life for many Kenyans, and to Beijing’s longstanding diplomatic principle of non-interference in domestic political affairs. Trade between Kenya and China has grown steadily over the past two decades, with China becoming a major destination for Kenyan tea, avocados and other agricultural exports, while importing electronics, machinery and finished goods.

The United States and the European Union, by contrast, have historically framed their engagement with Kenya around governance, human rights and democratic accountability. That focus has at times produced public friction, including over electoral disputes and counter-terrorism operations in the broader region. Both Washington and Brussels remain significant donors and trade partners, and US technology firms and European investors continue to play prominent roles in Kenya’s digital and financial sectors.

The survey results underline how competition for influence in East Africa is no longer measured only by aid flows or security partnerships, but by which external power is seen as most relevant to ordinary citizens’ economic prospects. As Kenya pursues its national development priorities, the relative standing of these three external actors is likely to remain a subject of political and academic debate.

Sources

This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.

• Business Daily — Kenyans rate China's influence above US and EU, survey shows