Chinese Vice President Han Zheng is expected in Kenya this weekend as part of a wider African tour that will also see him visit South Africa and Seychelles
According to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Han is expected in Africa between March 22nd and 30th.
Mr. Han’s main aim of visiting the three nations will be to boost relations between China and the respective nations.
Mr. Han’s visit to Kenya coincides with the revival of the delayed project to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Nairobi to Uganda via Kisumu and Malaba.
In 2017, the project was completed from Mombasa to Nairobi but had been halted at Naivasha before President Ruto’s administration revived it this week.
This week, President Ruto launched the next phase of the project, which will see the SGR reach Kisumu and Malaba from Naivasha. This new phase of the project will cover over 370 kilometers and pass through several counties in Rift Valley, Nyanza, and Western
Once complete, the railway is expected to make transport easier and boost trade between Kenya and neighbouring countries.
Before the launch, the President also held talks with Song Hailiang, the head of a Chinese construction company involved in the project, at State House in Nairobi.
At the same time, Kenya has been making changes to how it repays loans used to build the railway.
Last year, the government converted part of the SGR debt from US dollars to Chinese yuan in a move aimed at reducing repayment pressure.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the change covered loans worth about KSh646 billion and has already helped the country save money.
Latest figures show Kenya paid about KSh37.5 billion in January 2026 to China’s Export-Import Bank, which is lower compared to KSh59 billion paid during the same period last year.
The visit by Han Zheng is now expected to further strengthen cooperation between Kenya and China, especially in infrastructure and trade.