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Sino-Kenyan Railway Operator Afristar Challenges Allegations in Daily Nation Report

by Eric Olander
Kenyan lawmakers are hoping China will consider a debt repayment extension to service the remaining $3.3 billion that was borrowed to build the Standard Gauge Railway. Simon Mania/AFP

The Chinese-Kenyan joint venture company that runs operations for the new Standard Gauge Railway company, Afristar, forcefully rebutted recent allegations published last week in The Daily Nation newspaper that claimed that the SGR’s Chinese contractor “refused to provide key information protected by the confidentiality clauses in the controversial contract, on the grounds that it was “sensitive and private.”

The day after the story came out, Afristar then issued a point-by-point rebuttal to the story, denouncing both The Daily Nation and the journalist, Paul Wafula, who wrote the article for “irresponsible”, “unethical” and “unprofessional” journalism.

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