Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen today held a fruitful meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Kenya H.E. Dr. Zhou Pingjian who paid him a courtesy call at his office on Transcom House in Nairobi.
The two leaders discussed new areas of collaboration, emerging opportunities, and people-focused infrastructure projects that Kenya seeks to undertake.
“As Government, we consider China a close friend and a great partner owing to their active involvement in the transformation of Kenya’s infrastructure landscape over the last 20 years resulting in the cheaper, faster and more efficient movement of people and goods between cities and towns.
“We look forward to continued collaboration in infrastructure development and attracting more investment into the sector,” he said CS Murkomen during the meeting.
The Cabinet Secretary expressed his readiness to work closely with the Chinese Government in the modernisation and digitisation of the transport sector and exploration of new areas of collaboration that will be beneficial to the people of Kenya.
The two leaders also discussed areas of collaboration in the aviation sector, including expansion of airports starting with the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
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He also called for the formulation of a workable model that would encourage the transfer of technology, skills and knowledge to Kenyan youth through the formation of joint working teams, scholarships, and training.
“Technology has become the centrepiece of modern infrastructural developments with Information Transportation Systems offering the much-needed solutions to traffic control and management.
As one of the powerhouses in the fields of science and technology, China can assist our youth to become competitive in the job market through scholarships and training that would accord them the technological know-how and the requisite skills necessary to become competitive in the global job market,” he said.
On trade, the two leaders agreed to resolve the imbalance in trade by encouraging more businesses to invest in Kenya leading to the exportation of finished products to China.
Currently, China exports goods worth $720 Million and imports goods worth $42.4 million from Kenya.
The main imports from China include machinery, electric and electronic equipment, garments, organic materials, pharmaceutical products, and footwear among others, while Kenya exports Titanium ore, Niobium, Tantalum, Vanadium, Zirconium Ore and avocados to China.
