Author: Cliff Mboya
Dr. Cliff Mboya is a journalist and researcher with more than 10 years of experience in research and reporting. He completed his Ph.D. in international politics from Fudan University in Shanghai in 2020 where he analyzed China’s public diplomacy initiatives in Africa. He holds an M.A in Development Communication from the University of Nairobi where he wrote about China’s media portrayal in Africa using China Daily as a case study. He has a bachelor’s degree in international relations and journalism minor from the United States International University. He has produced editorial content in both local and international media outlets such as Daily Nation, The Standard, The People, Capital FM, Diplomat East Africa magazine, and various digital outlets. He started his career as an intern at the Ministry of foreign affairs in Kenya; worked as a part-time reporter at Diplomat East Africa magazine; joined the Chinese embassy in Kenya as an information and public affairs officer and worked as a China-Africa analyst and consultant after his PhD. He is also a research fellow at the Afro Sino Centre of international relations (ASCIR).
Related Posts
Letter From Nairobi: Chinese Contractors Have Turned the Kenyan Capital Into a Giant Construction Site
Large swathes of the Kenyan capital Nairobi currently feel like one big construction site on account of the ongoing construction of the 27 kilometer Nairobi Expressway that's being built by two of China's largest state-owned construction giants, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and Sinohydro.
Chinese Companies Looking to Improve Their Reputations in Africa Could Learn a Lot From What Huawei’s Doing in Kenya
Very few Chinese companies have been able to generate the kind of goodwill that Chinese telecom giant Huawei enjoys in Kenya and it’s not by chance. When it comes to local employment, the company spans a whole value chain from suppliers, technicians, charitable partners, educators, and academics ...
The Colonial Connection to Chinese Labor Disputes in Africa
The last year or so has seen a constant drip-drip-drip of social media videos showing Chinese managers abusing African workers. The trend has understandably cast a harsh light on Africa-China labor relations. To my mind, the resultant framing of Chinese labor practices in Africa as neo-colonial is ...
African Borrowers Need to Wake Up to the Reality of Chinese Loans
Chinese lending to developing countries has come under sharp focus since the release of several reports that have reshaped the debate. Unsurprisingly, many news reports, like the BBC’s “China: Big spender or loan shark” are ringing the alarm bells. However, I’d argue that the reports should rather prompt new ...
Q&A: How Illegal Chinese Logging Fuels the Islamic Insurgency in Mozambique
This Spring’s crackdown on illegal mining activities in Ghana, including by some Chinese nationals, and the recent high-profile incidents of illicit mining by Chinese companies in the eastern DR Congo have put a spotlight on the issue of unregulated Chinese resource extraction in other ...
Public Diplomacy With Chinese Characteristics
Many observers were caught off guard when Wu Peng, China’s top diplomat for sub-Saharan Africa, publicly condemned Chinese companies engaged in illegal activities in the DRC and announced the intention of the Chinese government to prosecute them at home. However, coming from him, it shouldn’t really be a ...
Q&A: What Lessons Can the DRC Learn From Ghana’s Experience Combatting Illegal Chinese Mining Activities?
In the last few weeks, we have witnessed heightened campaigns against illegal mining activities associated with Chinese companies in the Congolese provinces of Ituri and South Kivu. Several Chinese miners were arrested in the far Eastern Ituri province where it is believed that an unknown number ...
It’s Time For a More Nuanced Discussion About China
Recently, I caught up by phone with a long-time Chinese friend. The conversation started off friendly enough but soon veered into a heated debate after he accused me of turning from pro-China to anti-China. I met my Chinese friend while I was working at the Chinese embassy’s ...
Africa Should Negotiate Collectively with China at FOCAC. But That’s Not Going to Happen.
As the next Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) draws closer, the same sentiments and concerns over Africa’s relative position in the 20-year-old arrangement keep coming up. It is widely acknowledged that the continent generally gets the short end of the stick ...
Why Is the Kenyan Government Determined to Hide Its Chinese Loan Contracts?
A growing number of Kenyans are becoming increasingly incensed with Attorney General (AG) Kihara Kariuki for his determination to challenge activists’ demands in court for disclosure of the $3.2 billion Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) contract with China. The move didn’t go down well with ...
China Plans to Ramp Up Digital Engagement in Africa
The Chinese government announced new plans this week to increase engagement in Africa's tech sector by expanding partnerships in a number of areas including digital economy, smart cities, and 5G mobile communications. “China will share the achievements of digital technology with Africa to ...
Q&A: Why Banning Chinese Fish Imports Is Not a Good Idea in Kenya
Soon after reports emerged that Kenya’s Agriculture Committee in parliament proposed legislation that would restrict Chinese fish imports into the country, Safina Musa, a fisheries scientist at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, called for a reconsideration of the plan in a column she ...