Kenyan railroad engineer rides "fast track" of China-Africa cooperation

BEIJING -- When Jamlick Mwangi Kariuki came to China to study transportation seven years ago, his home country, Kenya, had only one narrow-gauge railroad, built nearly a century ago by the British.

On the old railroad, it took about nine hours to reach Nairobi from Mombasa, said Kariuki, referring to the country's capital and major port city.

In May 2017, a Chinese-built modern railway linking the two cities opened to traffic. The 480-km standard gauge railway (SGR) cuts rail travel time between the two cities by half, and is hailed as a flagship project and a successful example of China-Kenya Belt and Road cooperation.

Just as the modern, efficient railway facilitates travel and promotes economic development for Kenya, Kariuki's own life has hit the fast track of development with the expansion of China-Africa cooperation.

Months before the modern railway was launched, Kariuki applied for and was enrolled in a special bachelor's degree program initiated jointly by Beijing Jiaotong University and the China Road & Bridge Corporation, which was contracted to build the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR. The four years of undergraduate study in China equipped Kariuki and his fellow Kenyan students with much-needed knowledge about the development and maintenance of railways.

Over the years, a total of 100 Kenyan students benefitted from this undergraduate program aimed at boosting the ranks of talent in railway transportation and management. According to Kariuki, after graduation, many of them actively engaged themselves in the development of the railway system in their home country.

After completing undergraduate studies in 2021, Kariuki returned to Kenya and began working for the Kenya Railways Corporation as an assistant engineer. Although his first job that entailed inspecting tracks on the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway may not have sounded glamorous, it was essential.

"My job was to find if there are any defects that need to be repaired and things that need to be maintained," Kariuki said.

He also took part in the planning of railroad management at the headquarters of the corporation, where engineers determine the tasks at hand, the allocation of resources and other factors affecting the railway's operation.

During the job stint, Kariuki gained first-hand knowledge of how the railway has promoted Kenya's economic development.

"It has been almost seven years since the railway was launched, and over time, we can see the railway contributing to the growth of the economy and creating job opportunities," he said. "There are a good number of people who were unemployed but are now working there."

Data shows that the development of Mombasa-Nairobi SGR has created over 50,000 jobs and cultivated more than 2,800 high-quality railroad technology and management specialists for Kenya. In addition, it was estimated to have contributed to about 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product.

After working with the corporation for two years, Kariuki realized he needed to acquire more expertise. In his words: "If we want to continue our development, we must advance our knowledge."

To achieve this, Kariuki decided to come back to Beijing Jiaotong University and began pursuing a Master's degree in civil engineering there in 2023.

The same year, China celebrated both the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Kenya. In addition to the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR, large-scale projects such as an oil terminal at the port of Mombasa had also been carried out.

Following years of studying in China, the 26-year-old can now speak in fluent Chinese, and enjoys drinking Chinese green tea as much as the tea bags produced in Kenya. He has traveled to many places across China by high-speed trains and hoped that his parents and siblings will one day come to join him in his discovery of this country.

Currently, Kariuki is focused on gaining in-depth knowledge in railway engineering, studying subjects such as solid mechanics, steel structures and advanced concrete materials. Upon completing his postgraduate studies, he plans to return to work with Kenya Railway.

Kariuki noted that as he is in the engineering field, he also has opportunities to work on developing highways and other similar infrastructure projects needed in Kenya.

"When I go back, I will put into use all the skills I have learned to ensure Kenya emerges as a regional powerhouse in the railway sector." When leaving for China seven years ago, young Kariuki spoke of his aspirations.

Today, as BRI cooperation bears more fruit, the young African railway engineer is closer than ever to realizing his dream.