Foreign direct investment and aid to Africa: exploring the views of Kenyan academics and civil servants
Loading...
Links to Files
Permanent Link
Author/Creator
Author/Creator ORCID
Date
2015-02-27
Type of Work
Department
Towson University. Department of Geography and Environmental Planning
Program
Citation of Original Publication
Rights
Copyright protected, all rights reserved.
There are no restrictions on access to this document. An internet release form signed by the author to display this document online is on file with Towson University Special Collections and Archives.
There are no restrictions on access to this document. An internet release form signed by the author to display this document online is on file with Towson University Special Collections and Archives.
Subjects
Abstract
This paper explores the issue of Chinese investment in Kenya through the eyes of Kenyan academics and civil servants. I discuss initial findings from interviews and surveys that explored these informants' views on Chinese aid and foreign direct investment (FDI), their effects on national economic and social development, and the emergence of Chinese economic interest in Kenya. Fundamentally, I reflect on differences between Chinese and Western aid and investment in Kenya and explore whether these informants view the Chinese-Kenyan relationship as conducive to development and sustainability in Kenya. Informants suggest that China is able to deliver aid at a speed unmatched by Western donors and confirm that Chinese investment in infrastructure dwarfs that of Western donors (Lyman, 2005). However, they also criticize Chinese investors for ignoring human rights and refusing to listen to complaints from Africans on topics that range from low wages to negative environmental effects of aid and investment projects.