Jobs take centre stage as China company starts building railway

A Chinese worker supervises the clearing of bushes at Taru Trading Centre on December 7 2014 to make way for construction of the standard gauge railway. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA 

By Annie Njanja

In Summary

• For the first time since it came to Kenya in 1984, the Chinese firm will not only ship in the largest number of foreign workers but also plans to hire a record number of locals for the Sh327 billion Mombasa-Nairobi section of the railway.
• While CRBC has worked on 23 road projects (a total of 1,200 kilometres), two port projects, and built a workforce of 10,160 people over the years (90 per cent of them locals) it is still fighting to shed the foreigner tag.

China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is set to start its most defining year in Kenya tomorrow as it prepares to build the standard gauge railway, its largest local project in 30 years.

For the first time since it came to Kenya in 1984, the Chinese firm will not only ship in the largest number of foreign workers but also plans to hire a record number of locals for the Sh327 billion Mombasa-Nairobi section of the railway.

“The Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge rail (SGR) project is expected to increase the number of CRBC’s employees in Kenya significantly,” CRBC’s general manager in charge of the project Sun Liqiang said last week at a ceremony held in Nairobi to mark the firm’s 30 years operation in Kenya.

While CRBC has worked on 23 road projects (a total of 1,200 kilometres), two port projects, and built a workforce of 10,160 people over the years (90 per cent of them locals) it is still fighting to shed the foreigner tag.

READ: Over 30,000 new jobs on Kenya railway project

Last week, Mr Liqiang said the firm had made final preparations to start construction by New Year but this depends on how fast the government moves to compensate the last group of land owners.

The railway is expected to create over 30,000 jobs, making it one of the top employers of the year. However, jobless locals will be keen on the number of foreigners hired.

“Most of these jobs will be held by Kenyans and will range from equipment operation, tests, measurements, facility maintenance, as well as management,” he said. According to CRBC’s human resources records, the firm has had long term contracts with Kenyan employees; among them 54 workers who have been with the company for between 10 and 15 years.

Another 38 workers have served for between 16 and 20 years while six have served for 21 years. The longest service time, the company says, has been 28 years. The firm has previously faced protests from locals who have accused its management of shipping in foreign workers to perform non-specialised tasks.

Mid this year, Kenyans expressed outrage when Kenya Railway Corporation disclosed that 5,000 foreigners, mostly Chinese, would be airlifted to Kenya to work on the SGR project as part of the 30,000 workers.

The firm has also faced criticisms for importing nearly all inputs from China at the expense of local enterprises. The State has pegged local material at 40 per cent of CRBC’s orders.

The firm, which has been fighting to shed the foreign tag, says it will continue to splash cash on community projects even as it hires and provides specialised training for more Kenyans.

So far, the firm says it has undertaken several social projects including relief food campaigns in Turkana and the expansion of MCEDO-Beijing School which caters for orphans and other vulnerable children in Mathare slum, among other projects.

The 480-kilometre Mombasa-Nairobi railway will be completed in 42 months, easing transport for passengers and cargo across the East Africa region.

The track will have two passenger and freight handling stations and 33 crossing stations. It will also feature eight bridges that will provide underpasses for wild animals.