[Magnetonium]

Important project to improve East Africa, a waste of money, or a sign of Chinese financially enslaving the region?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25134276

Kenya launches new railway to reach South Sudan and Burundi

Kenya has formally launched a new, Chinese-financed railway which should extend across East Africa to reach South Sudan, DR Congo and Burundi.

The first section will link the Kenyan port of Mombasa to the capital, Nairobi, reducing the journey time from 15 hours to about four.

It is said to be the country's biggest infrastructure project since independence 50 years ago.

The cost of the railway will be $5.2bn (£3.2bn) - mostly funded by China.

Some Kenyans have complained that the contract was given to the Chinese state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) without going to tender.
'Historic milestone'

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed the deal in August in Beijing.

It is also hoped that the railway will reduce congestion in Mombasa, one of Africa's busiest ports.

The current railway network dates back to the colonial era.

After the Nairobi section is finished, with completion due in 2017, it will be extended through Uganda, with branch lines west to Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo, south through Rwanda to Burundi and north to South Sudan.

Passenger trains will travel at a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph), while freight trains will have a maximum speed of 80 km/h.

"What we are doing here today will most definitely transform... not only Kenya but the whole eastern African region," President Kenyatta told crowds at the ceremony, calling it an "historic milestone", the AFP news agency reports.

"As a result East Africa will become a competitive investment destination," the agency quoted him as saying.

Earlier, he said the railway was one of the flagship projects of his government's ambitious Vision 2030 initiative to improve much-neglected infrastructure.

"The project will define my legacy as president of Kenya and it is my personal desire that the implementation is done to the standard," he said in a statement on Wednesday after meeting CRBC officials.

He also thanked the Chinese government for the "massive infrastructural projects in the country", which "reduced the cost of doing business and created employment through increased investments".

Kenya would be working closely with Uganda and Rwanda during the first phase, which would boost ties between the neighbours, he added.

"Kenya will fully meet its obligations towards the project. I will personally oversee its implementation," Mr Kenyatta said.

[Lexington]

Important project to improve East Africa, a waste of money, or a sign of Chinese financially enslaving the region?

Maybe all of the above.

The lack of infrastructure in Africa is an enormous reason why it's so poor - you can't get stuff to or from anywhere around there without enormous cost. Any improvements to infrastructure there is an enormous benefit to the world and most especially to the people there.

But then again the money might get sucked up in corruption and nothing really happens and $5 billion disappears into the void.

But, also, Kenya borrowing $5 billion from China (or for that matter anyone) is a pretty serious burden.

[JRS1]

How is this any different to the original third world debt? Im talking generally about Chinese investment in Africa, not just Kenya and this railway.

I would like to think that perhaps less is squandered on corruption, short term requirements and arms. So perhaps this is better value third world debt.

Spending it on useful infrastructure may be a worthwhile long term investment, spending it on useless infrastructure is only further debt to them. Time will tell.

[Kilwa]

How is this any different to the original third world debt? Im talking generally about Chinese investment in Africa, not just Kenya and this railway.

I would like to think that perhaps less is squandered on corruption, short term requirements and arms. So perhaps this is better value third world debt.

Spending it on useful infrastructure may be a worthwhile long term investment, spending it on useless infrastructure is only further debt to them. Time will tell.

The Northern Corridor (that's its name) is an infrastructure that must to be made, this will boost developing. Since I noted your low understanding of the politics that are taking place in East Africa I advice you to read the East African report, it's a good journal and it's a good start for you to realize that Africa simply changed since 2008 (yes, since 2008, guess what happened in western world in 2008)