A recent documentary aired on China Uncensored (a version of the popular Africa Uncensored), revealed that Kenya ranks third on China’s debt list on the African continent.
The show is hosted by Chris Chappell, produced by Matt Gnaizda, and Humor Ninja Shelley Zhang, all former China journalists who put out satirical pieces to highlight vices against the backdrop of an allegedly highly censored Chinese media.
According to the show, China has been employing what they termed as ‘debt-trap diplomacy’.
Chappell made a comparison of the current Kenyan situation to the resolution of Sri Lanka’s debt to China in 2010.
In the report, Sri Lanka received a loan of Ksh150.7 billion to finance the set up of a port in the town of Hambantota.
The port didn’t receive much traffic in terms of shipments upon completion and consequently, the Sri Lankan government was unable to maintain the loan repayment schedule agreed on.
They were then forced to sign away the port to China on a 99-year lease as a form of loan repayment.
Chappell goes on to dissect the Kenyan debt to China standing at an estimated Ksh800 billion and an additional Ksh350 billion to finance the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
The complete list of the top five African countries on China's debt list are;
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Angola
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Ethiopia
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Kenya
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The Republic of the Congo
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Sudan
Here is the video: