NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 10- Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka says his longstanding relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping could help him negotiate a review of debt obligations if he wins the presidency in 2027.

📻 Breaking It Down

Kalonzo said Xi had previously told him that he would visit Kenya when he became President, recalling a meeting between the two leaders when he served as Vice President.

“Talk to President Xi Jinping. When I was Vice President, I met up with him. And he actually said, the only time I come to Kenya is when you are the president,” Kalonzo said during a interview on NTV’s Fixing the Nation.

He pointed to Xi’s recent visit to Tanzania without a stop in Kenya as a possible indication that the Chinese leader had meant what he told him.

📌 What You Need to Know

“When he came to Tanzania and didn’t come to Kenya, this man seems to be serious,” Kalonzo said.

The Wiper leader said a government under his leadership would immediately open discussions with Kenya’s major creditors in an effort to restructure the country’s debt burden.

Kalonzo argued that Kenya could not sustainably meet its debt obligations when ordinary government revenue remains significantly lower than the country’s overall public debt.

He proposed direct bilateral negotiations with creditors, including China, while also engaging the United States and other international partners.

Kenya’s public debt has continued to place pressure on government finances, with a substantial portion of annual revenue going towards debt servicing.

Kalonzo said his approach would involve scrutinising how some of the existing debts were contracted before entering negotiations with creditors.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya