CHINESE companies in Kenya created more than 50,000 jobs and provided training to 67,000people in 2018, according to a new report.
The Chinese Enterprises in Kenya Social Responsibility Summary 2018 was released by Kenya-China Economic and Trade Association (KCETA) on Friday to mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of China-Kenya diplomatic relations.
KCETA, a social organisation comprising Chinese businesses in Kenya, was founded in 2001 by 51 Chinese enterprises that are operating in Kenya and by 2018, its member enterprises have increased to 97.
In mid-2017, KCETA prepared and released its first Social Responsibility Report of Chinese Enterprises in Kenya and plans to regularly disclose the social responsibility performance of member enterprises and their economic, social and environmental impacts to the local communities.
According to the survey, joint Sino-Kenya endeavours have borne fruitful results with the construction of 100 plus major projects, such as the Moi International Sports Centre and the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR Project.
‘In addition, there were a significant number of co-operation projects successfully implemented in the areas of poverty alleviation, public health, cultural exchanges, and peace and security,’ says the survey by KCETA.
The analysis shows that China-Kenya infrastructure co-operation covers railway, highways, water supply, electricity, communications, airports, ports and other projects across the country.
The analysis shows that Chinese enterprises have gradually expanded their overseas operations in Kenya, creating jobs and contributing to the sustained improvement of the local economy and people’s livelihood.
In addition, the findings show that Chinese enterprises have also co-operated with Kenyan partners in the planning and construction of several special economic zones and industrial parks, such as the Pearl River Special Economic Zone, the Mombasa Special Economic Zone and the Naivasha Industrial Park.
‘After completion, they will greatly accelerate Kenya’s industrialisation process and create many jobs,’ says the report.
The study shows that in recent years, China-Kenya cooperation has yielded new fruits in many fields with more than 30 cooperative projects having been implemented in the fields of industrialisation, agricultural modernization and infrastructure construction.