Mutual accommodation: how do Chinese firms and state agencies adapt to the politics of infrastructure development in Kenya?

Abstract

How do Chinese firms and state agencies adapt to the politics of infrastructure development in Africa? To answer this question, I explore their involvement in the construction of Konza Technopolis, a flagship project in Kenya Vision 2030 to establish a technology city. This investigation builds upon studies on African agency, arguing that African states’ politics shape Chinese infrastructure construction. This article deepens the understanding of the interplays between infrastructure-led development in Africa and Chinese involvement through exploring in-depth the relational dynamics and intricate mutual accommodation among actors from the Chinese state, Chinese firms, and the Kenyan government. Firms ally with the Kenyan president or officials to seek profits. Chinese state agencies’ support for Chinese business expansion and use of businesses to establish diplomacy discourse are moderated by the Kenyan government’s initiation of infrastructure development. These adaptations illustrate Chinese infrastructural involvement beyond a geopolitical singularity of state strategy.

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