| dc.description.abstract | The study area for this thesis was Kenya and specific study locations were Nairobi,
Kiambu and Lamu counties since they host KUTRRH, SGR, Moi International Sports
Centre and Lamu Port which were the infrastructure under study. China’s financial aid
comes to Kenya without any conditionality that has hitherto been tied to liberal
democratic principles from the west. The focus was on how this partnership manifests
itself in infrastructure development since 1963. Kenya-China friendship dates back to
more than 600 years but the diplomatic relationship was established in 1963 to present.
Chinese mutual development principle is a principle of equality and respect between
the Partners and agreements that achieve win-win outcomes. Questions are usually
raised due to the fact that Chinese trade agreements are shrouded with a lot of secrecy.
For instance, little is Known on the maturity, interest rate and grace period of
concessional loan that is extended from China EXIM Bank and the method of
disbursing aid is in kind an indication that, money remains in the Chinese system and
that aid-financed infrastructural projects still remains at the discretion of the Chinese
government. With these revelations, this study therefore, investigated whether Chinese
economic diplomacy is fostering infrastructural development in Kenya since 1963. The
study was anchored on Power, Modernization and complex interdependency theories
which were triangulated to inform the conceptual framework of the study. This study
adopted both historical and descriptive survey research designs. Questionnaires,
interview guides and observation were the data collection instruments. The study’s
sample size was 15 institutions and 143 respondents. The study adopted data from
primary to secondary. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were used for data
analysis and presentation. The quantitative data was statistically analyzed and
qualitative was thematically analyzed. Mutual Benefit in China-Kenya bilateral
relations came out as the most highly applied in Kenya among the principles of peaceful
co-existence. This study further revealed that new skills and technology were being
transferred to Kenyan construction workers. This study also exposed that Chinese
investment in Kenya's development of infrastructure is significantly beneficial to
Kenya's informal sector. Equally, this study found out that although China-Kenya
bilateral agreements seemed economically viable Chinese firms' terms and conditions
are shrouded with a lot of secrecy. The findings revealed that the population of Kenyan
low cadre employees are more than that of their Chinese counterparts on Chinese
infrastructure construction firms in Kenya. The study concluded that the most popular
principle in China-Kenya economic diplomatic relations was the principle of mutual
benefit, Chinese investment in Kenya's development of infrastructure is significantly
beneficial to Kenya's informal sector because the lower cadre of employees who are
actually the majority are acquiring skills that can make them start their own businesses
and that although China-Kenya bilateral agreements seem economically viable Chinese
firms' terms and conditions are shrouded with a lot of secrecy. This study’s overall
conclusion was that Chinese economic diplomacy is fostering infrastructural
development in Kenya since 1963. The study’s recommendation was that Kenyan
government should formulate a policy that the technological skills impacted on Kenyan
workers by Chinese firms should be improved and be included in the Kenyan schools’
curriculum. | en_US |
