China Is Planning To Put Up A Military Base In Kenya Soon, Pentagon Reveals

Pentagon in its annual ‘China Military Power’ reveals that China is in talks with Kenya to establish a military base in the country as it seeks to expand its military power around the world.

“The PRC (Peoples Republic of China) has likely considered Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, and Tajikistan as locations for PLA (People’s Liberation Army) military logistics facilities,” said the Pentagon in report to Congress.

China has a well laid out foreign policy and objectives to assert itself globally.

Kenya remains one of the biggest beneficiaries of China-Africa relations with many infrastructure projects put up by the Chinese on the loan extravaganza. The controversial SGR project that was bloated is a Chinese project, they’ve also been involved in road constructions.

The China’s reported military ambitions come amid it’s plans to implement the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative that aims to further trade with African countries including Kenya.

In 2017, China set up a military base in Djibouti in a move that many read as a strategy for China to show their geopolitical interests overseas.

Kenya currently owes China billions in debt with fears that China could turn to take over facilities should Kenya default paying loans. Kenya won’t be the first country to face China’s wrath. Sri Lanka lost their port to China when they could no longer pay the loans, Kenya is also rumored to have used Mombasa port as a collateral in securing SGR loan.  Given that we owe them, the possibility of giving a nod to establish a military base in Kenya is not far fetched.