Continuity and change in Kenya-China relations 1963-2008

Abstract

In the last few years there has been a significant amount of comment and debate on the topic of Kenya's growing relationship with China. To a certain extent, the debate is part of a broader discussion on the question of China's growing presence in Africa. A number of commentators have argued that the state of Kenya-China relations during' the Kibaki administration differs fundamentally with the state of relations during the Kenyatta and Moi administrations. In other words, it has been argued that Kenya-China relations during the Kibaki administration have been characterized more by change than continuity. The main objective of the study was the examination of the history of the bilateral relationship across the three administrations of Kenyatta, Moi and Kibaki with the aim of evaluating the degree of change and continuity in the relationship. The study addressed several research questions. The key questions were; was the state of Kenya-China relations during the Kenyatta and Moi administrations uniformly strained as has been suggested? How does the state of Kenya-China relations during the Kibaki administration compare to that of the Moi administration? How much continuity and change is seen in the relationship? What factors domestic or external have contributed to continuity and change in the relationship?