Clientelism at work? A case study of Kenyan Standard Gauge Railway project

Wang, Yuan; Wissenbach, Uwe

doi:10.1080/20780389.2019.1678026

Cited by 46 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Among the projects that China has funded and is still funding is the three mentioned Kenyan projects that have proven to have adverse environmental projects; the SGR, the LAPSSET, and proposed Lamu coal plants. Ninety percent (90%) of the SGR funding for the first phase was by China through CEB 132 and constructed by the CBRC 133 ; the Lamu Coal plant is largely funded by the ICBC 134 and meant to be constructed by three Chinese companies 135 while the LAPSSET project is being constructed by CCCC 136 . This is the complete opposite of what leading by example should look like.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Are China�s Investments in Africa Environmentally Sustainable? A Case Review of Three Projects in Kenya

Gititu¹,

Kyalo²

2020

JIRFP

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China is the second-largest economy in the world with an annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of about 6% as of 2019, thanks to the speedy economic growth. However, this has come along with environmental challenges attributed to the application of the "pollute first control later" policy. Being a global power, China"s environmental status has been of global concern and their advocacy for a green economy has been criticized. Here, we review the environmental implications of few Chinese-funded projects in Africa, with a key focus on Kenya"s three projects; Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) and Lamu Coal Plant projects. Our findings show that in most instances, economic growth is prioritized over environmental protection. This has been capped in corruption, misinformation on environmental policies, deprived support towards environmental bureaus, resulting in poor policy implementation. Further, the absence of environmental regulations governing overseas investments, weak bureaucracies, and corruption in the host nations, has played part in environmental degradation. In order to confidently advocate for a green economy, China needs to be an example by investing and funding green projects and promoting sustainable development. The host nations also need to prioritize sustainable development and develop policies that will protect the environment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The SGR is a project that cost 3.8 billion U.S dollars, with ninety percent (90%) of the funding from China through CEB and the remainder from GoK 79 . Project initiation by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) took place in December 2004, followed by the official inauguration on 31st March 2017 80 .…”

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confidence: 99%

Are China�s Investments in Africa Environmentally Sustainable? A Case Review of Three Projects in Kenya

Gititu¹,

Kyalo²

2020

JIRFP

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“…An especially pertinent study is provided by Wang and Wissenbach (2019) (see also Wissenbach & Wang, 2017) who use news media as well as interviews with government officials to examine the SGR. Their objective is to unearth controversies over China's role in the Kenyan SGR, and thus understand how China can become more acceptable as a development partner.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such arguments can be understood from the perspective of African agency which acquires two meanings here—one linked to Kenyan political elites who control infrastructural contracts and the distribution of its benefits, and the other emerging in the form of local opposition to loss of land and lack of adequate compensation. In Wang and Wissenbach (2019), the key focus is the reception accorded to Chinese investment, rather than how Chinese investment enables Kenya to construct broader economic and political roles in East Africa as well as globally. This seems to occur across studies of China‐Africa relations—the emphasis is often on the meaning of China's investment for China's global role, rather than the regional or global role of the African country in question.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kenya's regional ambitions or China's Belt‐and‐Road? News media representations of the Mombasa‐Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway

Basu

Janiec

2020

Singap J Trop Geogr

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Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and its construction and financing by China, exemplifies the prominence accorded to mega‐infrastructural projects in contemporary economic development, as well as the dependence this has engendered on external loans. Alongside, multiple geographies intertwine in the SGR which is both a component of China's global ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI), as well as an East African regional link between coastal Kenya and neighbouring landlocked countries. In most popular and academic analyses, the role of China is emphasized over the SGR's positioning within East Africa. Does this then lead to an undermining of the meanings that are attached to the SGR within Kenya? This article seeks to add Kenyan perspectives to the debate over China's infrastructural loans by examining the range of news media discourses that have emerged around the SGR. Utilizing the theoretical lens of South‐South cooperation and African agency, this study analyzes how material infrastructure becomes meaningful within the context of a political superstructure. For Kenya, this political superstructure is shaped not only by Kenya‐China relations, but also by infrastructural competitions within East Africa, as well as within Kenya itself.

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“…In summary, there is high sense of partnership and commitment of the state. Based on over 100 interviews, Wang and Wissenbach (2019) observed that both Kenyan and Chinese sides repeatedly emphasized that the SGR is a 'Kenyan railway' , with technical and financial support from China. China Road and Bridges Corporation leaves ethnic conflicts, land distributes, or politics of business in Kenya to the relevant bodies of the Kenyan government and limit its role to technical aspects of railway construction.…”

Section: 4mentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing Impact Evaluation Gaps in Belt and Road Initiative Projects in Africa: The Standard Gauge Railway Project in Kenya as a Proof of Concept

2020

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The impact of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to global development will be unprecedented and significant, and developmental impact evaluation is therefore central to understanding BRI projects and making informed decisions. Compared with evaluations of individual projects and programs, evaluation of large and mega infrastructure projects under the BRI is particularly challenging and complex in integrating stakeholder objectives, accounting for social benefit and costs, and tracking long-term project impact. In this paper, we summarize the key drawbacks of existing BRI evaluation frameworks, propose a systematic evaluation framework elicitation method based on the inputs from BRI subject matter experts and verified through stakeholder participation, and apply an interim evaluation framework in understanding the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway project in Kenya, as a proof of concept of a comprehensive evaluation framework. In doing so, we seek to provide a tool for BRI decision makers and stakeholders to assess these projects holistically at planning, construction and operation stages.

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Clientelism at work? A case study of Kenyan Standard Gauge Railway project

Cited by 46 publications

References 22 publications

Are China�s Investments in Africa Environmentally Sustainable? A Case Review of Three Projects in Kenya

Are China�s Investments in Africa Environmentally Sustainable? A Case Review of Three Projects in Kenya

Kenya's regional ambitions or China's Belt‐and‐Road? News media representations of the Mombasa‐Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway

Addressing Impact Evaluation Gaps in Belt and Road Initiative Projects in Africa: The Standard Gauge Railway Project in Kenya as a Proof of Concept

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