Kenyan official: China is a special friend to Kenya, other African nations

China is a special friend to Kenya and other African countries, said a top Kenyan diplomat at handover ceremony of medical and protective materials donated by Chinese companies in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, on June 11.

Ababu Namwamba, the chief administrative secretary of Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thanked the Chinese side for donating the COVID-19 pandemic response commodities which are dearly needed in Kenya.

He said since the first Kenyan patient was confirmed in March, the Chinese government, people and all kinds of companies have donated a lot of goods to help Kenya fight against the virus.

"A lot of facts, especially in such a hard time, have proved that Chinese people in Kenya and other African countries are not just for business. They have contributed a lot in infrastructure building, job-creation and social development," said Namwamba.

The ceremony was held in Kenya Medical Suppliers Authority (KEMSA), a specialized government medical logistics provider for Kenya's Ministry of Health. The total value of the goods, which include isolation and surgical gowns, disposable surgical masks, one-step COVID-19 rapid test kits, is around 6 million Kenya Shillings, or $58,032.69.

The medical materials have been jointly donated by the Department of Commerce of Hunan province, Hunan Road & Bridge Construction Group Co Ltd (HNRB) and Changsha Huanghua Integrated Free Trade Zone, which is located in Hunan province's capital Changsha.

As the representative of the donators, Zeng Kerong, the general manager of HNRB's East African Regional Center, said that Hunan is the permanent hosting province of the China-Africa Economic & Trade Expo as well as the departure place and destination of the second scheduled direct flight from Kenya to China, the friendship between Kenya and Hunan is becoming closer and closer.

Quoting former South African president Nelson Mandela's motto "When people are determined, they can overcome everything", Zeng said HNRB is determined to align itself with Kenya people in eliminating the epidemic virus in the country.

Zhuo Wu, the chairman of Kenya Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said Kenya and China have close economic and cultural relations. From the beginning of Kenya's COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government as well as the Chinese business communities, both in China and in Kenya, have provided material as well as technical support to Kenya.

"The Chinese business community in Kenya will continue to support the government and the people of Kenya in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic until the final success," he added.