China is planning to finance and build a major highway in Kenya that will run through the Rift Valley to the western part of the country, as well as potentially extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Malaba. President William Ruto revealed that advanced talks are underway regarding the Rironi-Mau Summit Road and SGR extensions. The highway project was initially awarded to French firms but was canceled due to high costs. China is now looking to take over the construction, and the SGR extension from Naivasha to Malaba is estimated to cost around $5 billion.
Ruto sees cooperation with China as an opportunity to achieve key development goals, such as job creation, education, and healthcare. Additionally, Chinese officials agreed to help establish a leadership academy in collaboration with Kenya’s ruling party, UDA. This initiative is part of China’s broader efforts to strengthen political ties in Africa through party-to-party cooperation, including the establishment of similar institutions in other African countries.