Kenya defying odds to alter imbalance in trade with China

When President Uhuru Kenyatta boarded the plane to Beijing, to meet the leader of the world’s largest country and second largest economy, the prevailing sentiment among Kenyan social media influencers was sombre. Having spent a few minutes listening to the sceptics, the cynics and the critics, you would be forgiven for thinking that instead of attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation conference, along with 36 other world leaders, Kenyatta was on his way to be served public humiliation. 

While this sentiment has been overblown and exaggerated, it has not been entirely unfounded. At times, the relationship between Kenya and China can be perceived as unjust. This is understandable, given the dramatic differences in hard power between the two countries, but also because the relationship is tainted by frantic warnings from our allies in the US and Europe and from international institutions like the IMF. Hence the negative murmurs that accompanied Kenyatta’s departure from Nairobi, anticipating his return with nothing more than more debt.