NAIROBI, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan manufacturers are seeking to enter into joint ventures with Chinese investors in order to catalyze industrial growth in the country, an official said on Friday.
Tobias Alando, head of membership at the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) told Xinhua in Nairobi that China is a new entrant into the Kenyan industrial scene but could have the biggest impact on the sector.
"Kenyan manufacturers are keen to partner with their Chinese peers because of their advanced productivity and technology that is very relevant locally," Alando said on the sidelines of the 18th Africa Resource Bank Forum.
KAM hopes that over the next two years, China-Kenya agro-processing joint ventures has huge potential as the country is largely a rural-based economy.
"Thereafter we can form partnerships in the automotive and textile sectors," Alando said, noting that the manufacturing sector's contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) has remained stagnant at about 10 percent over the past decade due to competition from imports.
He observed that Kenya loses foreign exchange earnings due to exports of unprocessed agricultural products especially in the area of tea and coffee.
"The Chinese can be the catalyst that can help Kenya ensure that there is value addition of all its agricultural products before they are sold internationally," he noted.
