Written By Lisa Murimi
President William Ruto is scheduled to make a four-day state visit to China from Tuesday, April 22 to Saturday, April 26, following an official invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Chinese Embassy in Kenya confirmed the visit, marking Ruto’s second trip to China in just six months.
A key focus of the trip will be securing additional funding to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Malaba, a move aimed at improving trade links with Uganda and other East African nations.
Ruto is also expected to pursue stronger diplomatic and economic ties with China, amid intensifying global tensions between Beijing and Washington.
The visit follows President Ruto’s participation in the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September 2024, where Kenya secured Ksh 40 billion in concessional loans for infrastructure projects across ten counties.
These included road, energy, water, and ICT developments.
The Kenyan government is also exploring increased use of the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) to diversify its borrowing and shield the economy from dollar-related volatility.
With China remaining one of Kenya’s largest external creditors, the trip underscores Nairobi’s continued pivot toward Beijing for critical development support.
