Jamlick Mwangi Kariuki, a graduate student from Kenya, has been diligently pursuing his studies in civil engineering at Beijing Jiaotong University, hoping to one day make a greater contribution to Kenya's railway system as an expert.
Kariuki first arrived in China in March 2017 as part of a group of 35 Kenyan students selected to study railway engineering. This opportunity arose from Kenya's largest infrastructure project since independence—the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)—constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).
To ensure that Kenya can independently manage its railway system in the future, the Chinese company emphasized that building the railway was only the first step.
"We proposed to the Kenyan government that within three years, we would fully fund, free of charge, 100 Kenyan outstanding high school graduates to go to Beijing Jiaotong University in China for four years of railway-related professional studies," said Liu Chenghui, the deputy managing director of the CRBC Kenya Office.
Since the program began in 2016, three groups of students have taken part, with Kariuki being a member of the second group.
"In Kenya, we have a lot of engineers, but we still needed some more training, especially on the railway engineering side," said Kariuki.
"Our goal is to train a group of high-caliber talents who not only master modern railway technology, but also possess management skills in order to truly help Kenya develop its own railway operation capabilities and ensure that the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway truly becomes the Kenyan people's own railway," said Liu.
Liu Zhiming, a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University, worked closely with the Kenya Railway Corporation to design a curriculum tailored to the specific needs of Kenya’s railway system.
"We took the training plan to the Kenya Railway Corporation for coordination and exchanges. After looking at our content, they told us that the railway in Kenya hadn’t been electrified yet, so what they needed was training on traditional internal combustion locomotives and railway vehicles. Based on their needs, we revised the teaching syllabus accordingly," said Liu.
Liu highlighted the long-term vision behind the Belt and Road Initiative, emphasizing the importance of equipping Kenyan students with the skills needed to sustain and advance their country's railway system.
"Now, with the railways being built under the Belt and Road Initiative, we hope to train these students to have both design and operational capabilities. At the same time, these students will serve as 'seeds' to grow into the future instructors for Kenya's railway system," he said.
"I graduated in 2021. When we graduated and got back home, Kenya's railway was waiting for us, so we went and we were absorbed immediately," said Kariuki.
In 2023, after two years of working on Kenya's railway system, Kariuki chose to return to Beijing Jiaotong University to pursue further studies.
"The reason why you will find railways very effective in China is because they have a wide network. We have railways, yes. The only thing that we are missing is the interconnectedness. That's why I'm here to get more knowledge to become an expert. I had a very good time studying here at Beijing Jiaotong University. The teachers are very caring and knowledgeable. They are also very professional. They are able to take us through our classes and the courses," said Kariuki.
Kenyan student studies railway engineering in China to help strengthen Kenya's railway system
