Kenya leads the world in completing China-funded mega projects ahead of schedule as part of Beijing’s worldwide infrastructure development strategy, according to the conclusions of a new study by a prominent US research university.
Between 2013 and 2017, five projects in the country were completed ahead of schedule, according to the report, placing the country first among countries that have benefited from China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
According to researchers at the College of William and Mary, the speed with which Chinese projects were implemented in Kenya was due in part to President Uhuru Kenyatta taking responsibility and Chinese contractors acting quickly to quell opposition.
The findings are contained in a report titled Banking on the Belt and Road which covered 13,427 projects worth $843 billion (Ksh93.23 trillion) in 165 countries all funded by China over 18 years.
“The … dataset demonstrates that some countries are encountering fewer obstacles than others during the implementation of BRI infrastructure projects,” the researchers wrote in the report, published end-September.
“Kenya is at the top of the list (of countries in the dataset with the highest number of BRI infrastructure projects completed ahead of schedule).”
The findings are contained in a report titled Banking on the Belt and Road which covered 13,427 projects worth $843 billion (Ksh93.23 trillion) in 165 countries all funded by China over 18 years.
“The … dataset demonstrates that some countries are encountering fewer obstacles than others during the implementation of BRI infrastructure projects,” the researchers wrote in the report, published end-September.
“Kenya is at the top of the list (of countries in the dataset with the highest number of BRI infrastructure projects completed ahead of schedule).”
Kenya is followed by Indonesia, Mongolia and Cameroon which separately had three projects done ahead of timetable, while Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Zambia had two projects each.
China has over the last two decades established itself as a financier of first resort for many low- and middle-income countries, providing record amounts of international development finance, according to the researchers.
