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What a Railway in Kenya Reveals About How China Builds Things in Africa

by Eric Olander

The Kenyan government’s controversial decision to end certain subsidies and raise taxes sparked days of violent protests in Nairobi. While the move sparked a massive backlash, President William Ruto nonetheless clearly felt he had no other choice if he wanted to avoid defaulting on the country’s ballooning national debt.

A sizable portion of that debt, around 10%, is owed to Chinese creditors for the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), Kenya’s largest-ever infrastructure project.

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