Enter the dragon: Is China looking to colonize Kenya and rest of the East Africa?

By Nitin Kesar

The way Chinese people are making inroads into Kenya, has a striking resemblance to how British paved their way into India during early 17 century.

With a promise of investing $5 billion in Kenya's infrastructure, China has done exactly the same thing what East India company did then with India- show a false promise of prosperity and growth.

One of the reasons why China is so interested in Kenya is for its need of oil. As the dragon nation is set to become the world's largest oil importer, the new oil discoveries in Kenya serve its purpose well.

It is estimated that the Kenya will be the first oil exporter in East Africa by 2016 — with deposits topping 10 billion barrels, or three times more than the United Kingdom's remaining oil reserves.

Again, it is just like the way Britishers exploited Indian farmers for opium, cotton and spices.

The signs of this modern day colonization showed its horrific side on March 26 when a Chinese restaurant in Kenyan capital of Nairobi was shut down after it emerged that it was barring dark-skinned locals from entering its premises.

The case came into limelight after furious residents took to social media to denounce an apparently racist policy of not allowing African patrons to eat there after 5pm.

This is exactly what happened in India after Anglophone masters took control of the sub-continent and debarred the natives from entering restaurants. In fact, this was the time when Britishers used to put a board outside their so-called English eating joints which read- Dogs and Indians are not allowed.

Though Chinese investment at this moment seems like a good relief for Kenyans, it is going to have a great impact on the African nations sovereignty and autonomy.

A report conducted by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT ), Nairobi, Kenya also suggested that the FDI from China can have adverse effects on employment, income distribution, and national sovereignty and autonomy.