A Chinese trader sells goods at a past Nairobi International Trade fair. Chinese firms have in the past decade been aggressively pursuing and winning multi-billion shilling deals in multiple sectors. Photo/FILE Nation Media Group
China has edged out the US and UK to become the top source of inspiration for Kenyans, a new study by Consumer Insight shows.
Slightly more than a third of Kenyans or 34 per cent look up to China as a role model and destination for business opportunities, technology and infrastructure development.
This saw the giant Asian economy beat the US to second position with 33 per cent followed by Japan (nine per cent). Britain was fifth at five per cent.
“For the longest time, Kenyans looked to the US and UK for inspiration. While an element of this remains, China seems to be enjoying a growing share of national attention,” says the Consumer Insight survey titled ‘‘Is China Eclipsing Britain and US in Kenya?’’
The survey carried out in January this year in major urban centres and rural areas across the country polled 1,889 respondents who were asked which country offered the best inspiration and hope to Kenya.
“Ranging from the roads and public works they’ve built, or their endless stream of cheap everyday products, the easterners have clearly found favour with the Kenyan public,” the study concluded.
Kenya bought goods worth Sh167.2 billion from China last year, which is more than the combined value of imports from the US and UK, making it the second biggest source for imports after India.
The value of American imports to Kenya in 2012 grew 16 per cent to reach Sh66 billion. Kenyans bought British goods worth Sh43.8 billion last year.
However, the trade with China is heavily tilted in favour of Beijing, which bought goods valued at only Sh5.4 billion compared to Sh40.6 billion exports to UK and Sh26.4 billion to the US.
Chinese firms have in the past decade been aggressively pursuing and winning multi-billion shilling deals in multiple sectors such as infrastructure development, ICT, real estate and mining.
Its multinationals such as Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo, UnionPay, Beiqi Foton, Chery Automobile, Sinopec, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC Group), China Wuyi and China Road and Bridge Corporation have set base in Nairobi.
The 50.4 kilometre eight-lane superhighway connecting Nairobi and the industrial hub of Thika is arguably the flagship of China’s influence in the region. It was constructed by three Chinese contractors - China Wu Yi, Synohydro Corporation and Shengli Engineering - at a cost of Sh31 billion.
“Increasingly, Kenyans’ perception to the ‘Made in China’ tag is turning positive,” said Joy Masimane, a research analyst at Consumer Insight in an interview with the Business Daily.
The study says the ‘no-questions-asked’ diplomacy used by the Chinese may have seen the dragon economy win favour among Kenyans who are increasingly critical of taking orders from Western powers.
