Kenya eyes Chinese investment to boost economic partnership: official

Kenya is keen to boost China's foreign direct investment (FDI) in order to strengthen the bilateral economic partnership, a government official said.

NAIROBI, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is keen to boost China's foreign direct investment (FDI) in order to strengthen the bilateral economic partnership, a government official said on Thursday.

John Mwendwa, chief executive officer of Kenya Investment Authority, told Xinhua in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, that Chinese capital inflows will play a vital role in enhancing technological capability and employment opportunities in the country.

"We have very good interest from Chinese investors who are looking at Kenya as their natural entry point to serve regional, continental and global markets," Mwendwa said.

He noted that Kenya also benefited from President William Ruto's state visit to China in 2025, during which a number of bilateral investment deals were signed.

Mwendwa said that Kenya is keen to attract Chinese investors to establish industries that will reduce imports, particularly in agro-processing, light manufacturing, apparel, and leather production.

According to the Kenya Investment Authority, Chinese investors are ideal partners because the time interval between initial deployment of resources and actual production is less than one year.

Mwendwa revealed that there are about 400 Chinese companies operating in Kenya and the figure is projected to reach 1,000 in the next five years because of the country's conducive business environment. ■