all aboard the Chinese train line in Kenya

everyone loves!

Uh...almost everyone.

Hi, welcome to China Uncensored,

I'm your host Chris Chappell.

Well folks,

great news!

China has built

a new railroad line in Kenya!

Hooray! Fireworks!

It's a freight and passenger line

that connects Kenya's capital Nairobi

to the coastal port of Mombasa.

It's called the Standard Gauge Railway,

also known as the Madaraka Express.

With a top speed of 75 miles per hour,

it's not exactly a high-speed rail,

but it is three times faster

than old British train line it's replacing,

which was finished in 1901.

The one nicknamed the “Lunatic Express”

because of the huge costs

and the thousands of people

who died constructing it,

including being eaten by lions.

It was also subject to

constant delays and breakdowns.

But it did profusely apologize for each delay.

"Oh dear.

Terribly, terribly sorry.

My apologies.

Does anybody fancy a spot of tea?"

My apologies.

Anyway, this new Madaraka Express

is supposed to speed up travel,

reduce transportation costs,

and transform Kenya

into an economic powerhouse.

The rail was built by China Road and Bridge Corporation,

a Chinese state-owned company.

Which explains the awkward slogan,

“Connecting Nations,

Prospering People.”

Yes,

may you live long and prospering, people.

The train line is part of China's

“One Belt, One Road” Initiative.

In a nutshell:

One Belt, One Road is China's plan

for global domination.

It involves building huge infrastructure projects

around the world—

like seaports, train lines, and bridges.

They're supposed to help with trade,

which, in China's view,

means extracting raw materials

from poor countries

at low prices,

and selling finished made-in-China goods

back to them.

Oh, and putting everyone in debt to China.

Kind of like colonialism,

but with less guns.

So the Chinese regime

has big plans for Kenya.

The new Madaraka Express

created thousands of jobs in Kenya.

Let's check in with the locals

and see how happy they are.

“The youth stormed the Chinese rail camp site,

attacking and driving away workers indiscriminately.”

So, pretty happy.

That footage was from a riot last August.

You see, the railway did create

thousands of new jobs.

But not for Kenyan locals.

According to Quartz,

“One of the biggest gripes

is that Chinese companies in Kenya

import  their own labor.”

So a lot of jobs just go to Chinese workers.

As for the Kenyans who do get work,

well, those protests happened

because workers wanted a raise—

from two dollars fifty cents

to five dollars...

a day.

People who asked for a raise

were allegedly fired.

But paying low wages

is not the biggest problem.

Since China Road and Bridge Corporation

began construction of the railway

a few years ago,

it's been accused of firing workers

without cause,

dredging sand from Kenyan beaches

for construction material,

and even stealing water

from local communities.

To be fair though,

they have organized basketball games

for local employees,

a point they're very proud of.

Why, just look at all of these proud Kenyans!

And China Road and Bridge Corporation's

treatment of workers

is not an isolated incident.

This article by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa

talks about the horrible conditions

in Chinese-owned firms across Africa.

One Chinese mine had to be

“closed down five times,

largely because of non-conformity

to mine safety rules and poor sanitation.”

There was “an outbreak of cholera.”

And at one construction company,

“Almost all workers lacked

individual protection items

such as helmets, boots, and gloves.”

But back to the rail line in Kenya.

It cost 3.2 billion dollars to build,

and there are more rail line extensions

with even bigger price tags

in the works.

But the Kenyan government is only paying

for 10 percent of it in cash.

The other 90 percent is financed

with a loan from China's Export‑Import Bank.

Basically, it buries Kenya in debt.

According to the South China Morning Post,

“Kenya's external debt now amounts to

seven times its annual budget,

with China accounting for nearly

60 per cent of those loans.

Loans from China have grown by 54%

between 2010 and 2014.”

And as this Kenyan commentator points out,

“That's our tax money.

These are loans

that our children will pay.”

Oh, and there are concerns about corruption.

Now I'm no expert in how much

large scale railway projects cost.

The most I ever owned

was Reading Railroad and B. & O.

One day, Short Line,

you will be mine!

But this railway in Kenya

is apparently way more expensive

than it should have been.

Al Jazeera reports that

''Kenya's railway costs [per kilometre]

are almost 40 to 50 percent higher'

than some of Kenya's neighbouring countries.”

To be fair,

part of the higher costs

are related to technology,

but that doesn't account for all of

the large price tag.

Where did the rest of the money go?

There are also environmental concerns

that many critics feel weren't addressed.

Phase two of the railway

will cut right through an important national park.

And some are concerned construction was rushed

so that the current president

could have his flagship project completed

just in time for elections in August.

So all aboard the Madaraka Express!

The price is just decades of debt

to a new colonial power.

So what do you think about this stunning example

of the One Belt, One Road Initiative?

Leave your comments below.

Thanks for watching his episode

of China Uncensored.

Once again, I'm your host, Chris Chappell.

See you next time.

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