Walking far and together: The China-Africa journey through Nairobi's streets

Like many fast-growing African cities, Kenya's capital hums with energy but grapples with inadequate infrastructure: frequent power cuts in office buildings, crumbling roads in the city center, and drainage systems easily overwhelmed during the rainy season.

However, it's hard not to notice Nairobi's great transformation — and China's visible role in it. Major landmarks across the city bear the imprint of Chinese construction, including the Nairobi Expressway, the country's first toll road; the 184-meter-tall Global Trade Center; and the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, Kenya's largest infrastructure project since its independence in 1963.

These developments haven't just driven the country's modernization; they've also made daily life easier. At a restaurant in the Serena Hotel in the capital, a manager approached me and spoke glowingly of the changes. "There are many Chinese working here in Kenya, and they've made great contributions," she said.