海角大神

More than a century ago, British engineers and their indentured African and Indian laborers spent five years carving a railroad through what would become Kenya, in a bid to open up East Africa鈥檚 interior to trade.

Along the way, close to 2,500 workers died, struck down by malaria, attacked by man-eating lions, or overcome by exhaustion.

By the time the 660-mile track reached the shores of Lake Victoria in 1901, the massively over-budget endeavor had earned the nickname 鈥渢he lunatic express.鈥�

In Beijing Monday, a deal was struck to bring Chinese railway builders to try the project all over again, constructing a new track from Kenya鈥檚 Indian Ocean coast to its western border with Uganda. And as before, the aim is to boost business.

Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya鈥檚 president, was in China to meet with Xi Jinping, the country鈥檚 president. The pair inked $5 billion worth of agreements that will see China fund new projects on energy, infrastructure, and wildlife protection.

On top of the agenda, alongside plans for new hydro-dams and seaport expansions, Mr. Kenyatta鈥檚 advisors say, was finalizing the plans for the new railway, which is expected to swallow up the majority of the new financing.

The rail left by the British was rendered almost derelict by decades of state-sponsored looting at Kenya Railways under former president Daniel arap Moi, forcing almost all freight onto already clogged and potholed roads.

Of 1,700 miles of track operational in the 1950s, no more than 700 is in use today, and locomotives rarely manage average speeds above 20 miles per hour even on the best sections.聽

鈥淲e welcome the investment in key sectors of our economy,鈥� Kenyatta said in a statement late Monday from Beijing.

鈥淭he rail link, particularly, is important in the context of East Africa鈥檚 shared goal of ensuring quicker movement of peoples, goods and services.鈥�

President Xi added that his country 鈥渟upports Kenya鈥檚 quest for industrialization.鈥澛�

鈥淚n many ways, China鈥檚 engagement with Africa today is very similar to the British engagement in the past 鈥� railways, roads, bridges, major infrastructure,鈥� says Aly-Khan Satchu, a Kenyan economic analyst.

Massive construction projects to boost Africa鈥檚 development have fallen out of favor with the continent鈥檚 long-time donors in the West.

At the same time, Kenyatta鈥檚 looming trial at the International Criminal Court, where he denies charges of crimes against humanity, have made traditional allies, many of them in the West, nervous of significant new aid investments in Kenya.

China, which has remained mute on Kenyatta鈥檚 indictments, has no such qualms.

In an op-ed published on a Kenyan news site last week, Liu Guangyuan, China鈥檚 ambassador to Kenya, gushed that 鈥渢he Chinese government and people are eagerly expecting the arrival of President Kenyatta.鈥�

鈥淐hina-Kenya friendship has become the treasure of both peoples,鈥� Mr. Liu wrote, adding, 鈥淲e are a community of destiny with similar historical experiences and values. Our respective dreams are tightly linked with each other.鈥�

For his part, Kenyatta picked up the baton of mutual admiration, tweeting聽as he landed in Beijing late Sunday, 鈥淎rriving in China. China鈥檚 importance to Africa cannot be underrated. China is our biggest partner in development.鈥�

Chinese organizations including automobile manufacturers, television stations, and even academic institutions are all now established in Kenya. An English-language edition of the China Daily is printed in Nairobi, Kenya鈥檚 capital.

And there is no doubt that repairs to roads and rebuilt railways will help Kenya鈥檚 economy to continue its already-healthy growth, currently averaging 5 percent a year.

An improved train link could cut the costs of shifting freight across East Africa by 79 percent, according to Kenyan government calculations.

But critics point out that trade with China is currently almost entirely one way.

Kenya exported some $50 million of produce to China in 2012, compared to buying $1.8 billion worth of Chinese goods, according to Kenya鈥檚 trade ministry.

The concern is that Kenyatta鈥檚 very obvious shift away from the West聽鈥� he visited Russia in the days before arriving in Beijing 鈥� may alienate traditional trading partners and his pro-East rhetoric may put off new US or European investors.

鈥淜enyatta feels he needs to re-balance towards China in particular,鈥� says Mr. Satchu. 鈥淚t鈥檚 clear why 鈥� China is Mr. Moneybags, and we need loads of money to leapfrog our infrastructure to modern standards.

鈥淏ut the President鈥檚 tone and language have been seen as quite dismissive to Kenya鈥檚 old friends. It might be better to take a more multilateral approach.鈥�

For Charles Nderitu, a Nairobi businessman exporting sugar to Dubai from cane fields in Kenya鈥檚 west, all such discussions are academic.

鈥淚鈥檓 looking at the bottom line, and if I can move my produce along some new fast cheap railway instead of by lorries [trucks] that cost so much and are always breaking down, I don鈥檛 care who builds that railway,鈥� he says.

鈥淚t worked for the colonialists when they opened it before. Now it鈥檚 time to rebuild it so that it works for us Kenyans.鈥澛�

[Editor's note: The original version of this story misstated Xi Jinping's title]