President William Ruto’s ongoing four-day state visit to China has yielded a significant boost to Sino-Kenyan economic cooperation, with at least seven investment deals worth over $823 million (Ksh106 billion) signed so far.
The agreements span manufacturing, hospitality, agriculture, and smart infrastructure, promising to create thousands of jobs and catalyse growth across various counties in Kenya.
The trip, which began on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, and is set to conclude on Saturday, April 26, 2025, underscores Nairobi’s diplomatic pivot to deepen bilateral ties with Beijing, even as President Ruto positions Kenya as a potential bridge between East and West amid shifting global alliances.
The head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy, Dennis Itumbi, shared highlights of the deals in a post on X on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, which was also reshared by Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’oei.
Here are the seven key agreements reached so far:
1. China Wu Yi – Kikambala Special Economic Zone (Kilifi County)
Investment: $150 million/KshKsh19.4 billion
Jobs created: 5,000
Focus: A comprehensive SEZ to support manufacturing, warehousing, and processing industries in coastal Kenya. The deal is expected to bolster Kenya’s regional trade potential via the Port of Mombasa.
2. Chongqing Shangcheng/Pengfeng – garment and solar manufacturing (Murang’a and Athi River)
Investment: $20 million/Ksh2.5 billion (as part of a $300 million/Ksh38.8 billion plan over 10 years)
Jobs created: 7,000
Focus: Establishment of textile, garment, and solar power production plants. The firm’s plan phased expansion is tied to Kenya’s growing renewable energy and export sectors.
3. Rongtai Steel – expansion and R&D in Lukenya (Machakos County)
Investment: $100 million/Ksh12.9 billion
Jobs created: 3,000
Focus: Enhancing Kenya’s domestic steel production capacity with a new research and development centre to support local engineering and industrial growth.
4. Huatian Hotels – hospitality expansion in Nairobi
Investment: $23 million/Ksh2.9 billion
Focus: Acquisition or long-term lease of existing hotel infrastructure in Nairobi.
The deal supports Kenya’s growing tourism and business travel sectors as the capital hosts more regional conferences and summits.
5. Anhui Jiubao – smart traffic technology factory (Mombasa)
Investment: $50 million/Ksh6.4 billion
Jobs created: 5,000
Focus: Production of traffic components and smart mobility systems.
The factory will be located on a 50-acre plot identified in Murang’a County, with distribution hubs linked to Kenya’s main transport corridors.
6. Shandong Jialejia – poultry and feed plant (Kajiado County)
Investment: $30 million/Ksh3.8 billion
Jobs created: 500
Focus: A large-scale poultry breeding and feed production facility targeting both local consumption and export.
The plant will house over 500,000 hens and is expected to significantly reduce Kenya’s poultry import dependency.
7. Zonken Group – aloe and vineyard development (Baringo County)
Investment: $400 million/Ksh51.7 billion
Jobs created: 5,000
Focus: Agro-industrial development combining aloe vera cultivation and processing with the establishment of vineyards for grape and apple seedling production.
The project is set to transform arid lands into commercial farming zones.
The state visit marks President Ruto’s latest push to position Kenya as a magnet for foreign direct investment and a gateway to African markets.
In remarks made in Beijing earlier this week, Ruto emphasised that Kenya is ready to serve as a link between East and West, North and South, calling on global powers to pursue multilateral cooperation over competition.
His administration has increasingly leaned on strategic partnerships to drive industrialisation and job creation, with China remaining Kenya’s single largest bilateral creditor and infrastructure partner.
The deals sealed so far reflect a calculated balance between capital inflows and job opportunities, as Kenya continues to recalibrate its economic diplomacy in a complex geopolitical landscape.
Martin Oduor
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