Follow CGSP on Social Media

Listen to the CGSP Podcast

Why East Africa’s Next Railways Won’t be Built With Chinese Money

by Eric Olander
The Chinese-built Standard Gauge Railway depot in Nairobi. Simon Mania/AFP

From Ethiopia to Kenya and soon Tanzania, thousands of kilometers of new railways are coming online. And if Tanzanian President John Magufuli is successful, Dar es Salaam will emerge as the hub of a hugely ambitious regional railway network that will stretch across half a dozen countries.

But the Key Question Remains: Who Will Pay for It?

The Chinese were instrumental in the first phase of East Africa’s railway development, providing billions of dollars in concessional loans to the Ethiopian, Djiboutian, and Kenyan governments to build Standard Gauge Railway lines.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More

You Might Like

The Trains Are Finally Rolling in Nigeria

Say what you want about the Chinese but there’s no denying they are damned good at getting stuff done. The sight of a big beautiful new train on freshly ...

Kenya’s Dream to Build a Modern Railway Is Turning Into an Economic Nightmare

Many Kenyans were excited about plans to build a modern railway across the country linking the port city of Mombasa and Malaba town on the Kenya-Uganda border. It was touted as a game-changer; ...

Kenyatta to China’s Critics: “We Don’t Need Lectures”

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta hit back at critics of China’s presence in Africa, presenting Beijing as a welcome alternative to Africa’s legacy partners in the U.S. and Europe that too often, he said, ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

Subscribe