Competing Paths to Development: The China Model in Kenya through a Modernization Theory Lens

The rise of China as a major development actor in Africa presents a significant challenge to traditional Western-dominated paradigms. This article uses Modernization Theory as an analytical framework to examine China’s engagement in Kenya, primarily through infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and adopts a qualitative research design anchored in interpretive analysis. The paper investigates the central paradox of this engagement, noting that while China’s model vigorously promotes the economic drivers of modernization, it simultaneously rejects the socio-political Westernization that Modernization Theory posits as an inevitable consequence. The article contends that Kenya is not a passive recipient but an active agent in this process, navigating a negotiated path of strategic pragmatism and hybridization. By leveraging Chinese financing for tangible projects and maintaining partnerships with Western institutions, Kenya crafts a unique developmental synthesis.