Kenya says Chinese manufacturers help boost industrialization agenda

NAIROBI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Thursday said that Chinese manufacturers are playing a positive role in the country's industrialization agenda.

Anthony Mwangi, the chief executive officer of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), said in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that Chinese industrialists have raised the standards of competition in the country, which has led to the development of more local innovations.

"We welcome more international investors to come to the country to add value to raw materials so that more Kenyans can have job opportunities," Mwangi said during the launch of the fifth edition of the manufacturers' shopping festival.

He said that Chinese manufacturers are attracted to Kenya because it is a gateway for East and Central Africa's rapidly growing markets.

"My rallying call is, let us welcome more Chinese companies to come and establish a presence in Kenya so that we benefit from their advanced technology," he added.

Mwangi observed that foreign manufacturers based in Kenya benefit from infrastructure that enables them to export to the rest of Africa. He revealed that Kenya is also keen to learn from China's industrialization journey that has transformed the Asian nation to become the world's manufacturing hub.