On May 11, after the signing of cooperation agreements on the Mombasa-Nairobi railway, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told reporters that the agreement is only the beginning of China's cooperation with East African countries. East Africa's economic takeoff requires infrastructure such as railways, and China has rich experience and production capacity in this area. Chinese equipment is quality-guaranteed and relatively inexpensive, and cooperation between the two sides reflects the principles of equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

       As the initial section of the East African railway network, the Mombasa-Nairobi railway is 480 km long, has a designed capacity of 25 million tons, adopts China's Class I national railway standard, and connects Kenya's capital Nairobi with Mombasa Port, East Africa's largest port. According to long-term plans, the railway will link six East African countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.

       The Mombasa-Nairobi railway is known as the throat of the East African railway network and is the first section of the Northern Corridor. It will promote the formation of a modern railway network in East Africa and the region's economic development, and provide infrastructure support for East African integration. During construction, the railway will create nearly 30,000 jobs in Kenya, boost Kenya's GDP growth by 1.5%, and enhance Kenya's international status and influence.