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Kenyan President William Ruto’s state visit to the Chinese mainland this week marks a pivotal moment in the partnership between the two nations. Arriving in Beijing, President Ruto aims to strengthen ties rooted in six centuries of shared history.
From the 15th-century voyages of Zheng He’s fleet to Kenya’s shores to today’s high-speed railways, the Chinese mainland and Kenya have been redefining cooperation in the Global South. In his pre-visit remarks, President Ruto underscored this enduring bond: “The people-to-people relationship between Kenya and China goes beyond our bilateral relations. Bilateral relations start from the ’60s, but the people-to-people relations are 600 years old when the first Chinese visited Kenya. I am looking forward to building on what already exists to enhance understanding between our two peoples and ensure we take this into the future.”
Since elevating their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2017, the two nations have seen significant growth. As of 2025, bilateral trade has reached a record 16.13 billion yuan (approximately $2.2 billion), surging 11.9% year-on-year.
At the heart of this partnership lies transformative infrastructure projects. The 600-kilometer Mombasa-Nairobi-Naivasha Railway—a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative—has drastically reduced cargo transit times, boosted Kenya’s GDP by about 2%, and created 74,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the newly operational Lamu Port and Mombasa Oil Terminal are positioning Kenya as East Africa’s maritime hub.
“These are very important projects,” President Ruto emphasized. “We’re looking forward to concluding those which are not concluded and having a conversation on how to bring others into being so that we can enhance commerce and trade within our region and between Kenya and the rest of the world.”
Kenya’s ambitious goal of achieving a 100% green energy grid by 2030 finds a willing partner in the Chinese mainland. President Ruto noted, “We are looking forward to making sure that our grid is 100 percent green by 2030, which is just a few years from now. And we are looking forward to how we can share in our green energy resources with China, which has green energy technology. China has distinguished itself as a country that has advanced technology in matters to do with solar panels and EV batteries.”
The Garissa Solar Plant, built with Chinese technology, now powers 70,000 homes, benefiting 380,000 people. The next phase involves scaling up electric vehicle production and battery storage systems. “We will be looking at opportunities that can be shared between Kenya and China in technology transfer and possibly how we can encourage Chinese enterprises in the renewable energy space, including EVs and electric motor vehicles, so that we can build our manufacturing capacity here in Kenya for serving our region and country,” Ruto stated.
Beyond megaprojects, this visit also highlights grassroots impact. Kenya’s avocado exports to the Chinese mainland have skyrocketed to about 6,890 tons annually, significantly increasing rural incomes. In Nakuru County, Chinese agricultural technology has tripled tomato yields through disease-resistant grafts.
Cultural bonds are deepening as well. Kenya now hosts four Confucius Institutes, and Mandarin is becoming an elective language in schools.
President Ruto’s visit signals that Kenya and the Chinese mainland are crafting a blueprint for equitable partnership. Kenya is emerging as a bridge between continents, fostering cooperation and development in the Global South.
