Chinese President Xi Jinping has agreed to finance the construction of Kenyan roads and railways including the rebuilding of a notorious accident black spot.

Xi made the pledge when he welcomed his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto to Beijing on Thursday, promising also to support “high-level connectivity, and sustainable trade”.

The funding he pledged will include work to rebuild the Nithi Bridge in central Kenya, a notorious death trap that has claimed hundreds of lives since its commissioning four decades ago. The plan involves the building of a viaduct that will remove the steep descents and sharp corners that make the bridge so dangerous.

Kenya is a key partner for China’s Belt and Road Initiative – a transcontinental infrastructure project – that has already helped build a rail link between Mombasa, Nairobi and the Central Rift Valley at a cost of around US$5 billion.

Apart from railway projects, China also agreed to allow Kenya to explore the issuing of yuan-denominated panda bonds while Xi pledged to continue talks about a free-trade agreement and to “import more fine Kenyan products and promote the balanced and sustainable development of bilateral trade”.

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