This archive report was first published on 28 August 2019.
On August 27, 2019, a report by Chinese companies in Kenya revealed that over 50,000 jobs were created in 2018.
The report, which highlighted the growing presence of Chinese companies in Kenya, showed that 106 Chinese firms are operating in the country, with nearly 95 percent of their workforce being Kenyan.
However, the report did not specify whether the workers were casual labourers or contract workers.
Chinese companies, both private and state-owned, have been increasingly investing in Africa, with their direct foreign investment into the continent standing at $66.4 billion (Sh6.9 trillion) between 2005 and 2016.
One notable example of Chinese investment in Kenya is the career fair organised by a consortium of Chinese multinationals under the Kenya-China Economic and Trade Association (KCETA). The event saw over 50 companies offer employment opportunities to more than 1,000 Kenyans, with firms such as Huawei Technologies, Sinohydro Corporation, and Tecno participating.
Most of the jobs created by Chinese firms are in the manufacturing and service sectors, which account for 62 percent of the total number of these firms in Kenya.
However, it has been noted that these firms are sourcing most of their supplies from China, meaning local firms are largely missing out on the opportunity to gain from the big ticket contracts.
