Chinese aid key to African development: Kenyan expert

China's development aid, mostly targeting the infrastructure sector, is key to the development of Kenya and Africa as a whole, a Kenyan development analyst says.

China is pushing for a greater role in the development of Kenya's infrastructure -- an area with significant untapped potential for Chinese firms, said Edward Oyugi, a professor at the University of Nairobi.

"China's aid to Kenya has increased in size. It has not been subject conditionalities which have been the hallmark of Western bi- and multilateral aid which have caused many African economies a lot of problems," Oyugi told Xinhua in an interview.

He said the Chinese aid has targeted the infrastructural sector, which is key for development.

Beijing sees infrastructure as central to economic development and much of the aid and soft loans issued in recent years have supported investment in the area.

Oyugi agreed that Nairobi and Beijing should diversify new areas of development cooperation to include health, energy and education.

China's aid, Oyugi said, has been geared to infrastructure, trade and education sectors and in direct budget support, which gives Kenya the necessary latitude to direct the received resources to where they are needed.


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