By: Connie Cao

Several mishaps and criminal investigations occurred at Kenya’s China-Funded Train several years after China’s railway was built. These events will influence the outcome of an election on Tuesday 2022 about whether the train station will stay or leave.

The train station was intended to be a historical occasion of which Kenyans and Chinese should be proud.

According to The New York Times, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya stated that this railway was intended to increase jobs and assist his country’s transformation into a middle-income country five years before its construction of the country’s new railway. Speaking out about the Kenya train, President Kenyatta said it was a proud and historic accomplishment for both Chinese and Kenyans.

It turned into one of the biggest tragedies in history five years later after criminal investigations and troubling problems at the railway. The railway was the subject of criminal investigations for corruption, which sparked discussions among environmentalists and forced out workers in the tracking sector, according to The New York Times.

The railway led to an election on Tuesday and China’s growing influence in Kenya. Candidates urge China to discuss debt negotiations with Kenya and to expel candidates from their local positions. The railway’s astronomical price tag of 4.5 billion dollars was even more concerning for many others.

An economist named Tony Watima shared his thoughts on the Kenyan railway. According to him, it is a disrupter of the economy, society, and finances. He goes on to say that this disruption will affect Kenya for many years.

The individuals who contributed to this creation have spoken out in the wake of Tuesday’s election. Kenya’s entire public debt to China is $73.5 billion, according to William Ruto, vice president of the administration that started the railway. The country has a domestic product of more than $100 billion.

He continued by saying that with such a heavy debt burden, Kenya’s economy faced numerous difficulties and was in a “precarious scenario.”

Ruto admitted that it was difficult to pay the Chinese debt.

Additionally, President Kenyatta met his rival. Former prime minister Mr. Rail Amolo Odinga has consistently lambasted Kenyatta over his initiative, alleging that members of his family have benefited from it, according to The New York Times. The criticism has already subsided, but Kenyatta is still adamant that he would stop the railroad project.

Kenyatta claims that he recently promised a solution to a group of supporters gathered in Mombasa, “Once I am in the office, we will solve it.”