Faith Nyasuguta
France has suffered a major blow in Africa after losing a $1.4 billion infrastructure contract in Kenya to a Chinese firm, marking a significant shift in the continent’s political and economic alliances. The cancelled deal is the latest sign of Africa’s growing drift away from its former colonial rulers and toward Beijing’s deep pockets and non-interventionist approach.
Kenya has terminated the $1.4 billion contract it had signed with a French-led consortium to upgrade a key 140-kilometer (87-mile) highway connecting Nairobi to Nakuru, a critical trade route into the Rift Valley. The agreement was originally struck in 2020 during a state visit to Paris by then-President Uhuru Kenyatta and was awarded to a team led by France’s Vinci Highways, Vinci Concessions, and Meridiam SAS, a French private equity firm.
However, Kenyan authorities have now opted to pull the plug, citing unfavorable contract terms that placed an excessive financial burden on the government. According to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the initial agreement forced the government to absorb the risk of low traffic volumes, a clause seen as a red flag in the ongoing fiscal tightening Kenya is undergoing.
“KeNHA requested a restructuring of the contract to better balance the risks, but the proposal was considered unbankable, leading to a stalemate,” the agency told Reuters.
Now, the project is expected to be reassigned to a Chinese contractor, further reinforcing China’s aggressive push into African infrastructure development. The switch is part of an ongoing trend as African nations increasingly look to China, not just for investment, but also for strategic alliances that come without the historical baggage many associate with European powers.
This development adds to France’s growing list of setbacks on the continent. Once a dominant force in Francophone Africa, France now finds itself sidelined as countries reevaluate their historical ties with Paris. The shift is especially visible in West Africa, where anti-French sentiment has surged due to long standing grievances over economic control, political meddling, and failed military interventions,especially in the Sahel region.
Recent coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have not only toppled France-friendly regimes but also led to the expulsion of French troops and diplomats. These governments are now turning to Russia for military cooperation and to China for economic development.
For France, the collapse of the Kenyan highway deal is more than just a commercial loss, it is symbolic of its declining relevance in Africa. For China, it’s another strategic win in its growing portfolio of high-stakes infrastructure projects across the continent.
With Beijing stepping in where Paris has stumbled, the future of African development appears increasingly tied to the East. The Nairobi–Nakuru highway may soon be paved not just with asphalt, but with China’s growing influence.
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