Kenya asked to work closely with trade negotiators

“Chinese usually come into the country as a high-powered delegation specifically to sign an agreement about an already identified project, meaning only top government officials get the opportunity to negotiate with them,” the official.

Among the economic conditionalities usually hidden in the Chinese agreements are demands that all projects be handled by Chinese corporations and that a country increases her uptake of Chinese goods in exchange for their services in projects like road construction.

In the Export Processing Zones – special economic enclaves established to attract foreign capital while promoting technological skills transfer – the IDS study notes that most Chinese are hired without any specialised skills, gain the requisite skills within the precincts of the companies that they work and later apply for their licenses to set up their own firms in within the zones.

On the other hand, however, the IDS study notes that it is due to good bilateral relations with China that Kenyan companies like Kenya Airways now has landing rights in several Chinese cities with direct flights to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Nairobi.

“This move has transformed the airline into a premier duo strategic instrument for African business penetration into china as it connects large number of destinations like Abidjan, Lagos and Kinshasa to Chinese industrials cities like Guangzhou,” said Dr Onjala