What if Kenya took the China way?
That was the question that briefly divided a group of editors at the Kenya Editors Guild offices as they discussed Xi Jinping: The Governance of China and what lessons Kenya could draw from China's economic transformation.
The conversation that took place at Kenya Editors Offices on October 6th begun with a more provocative question from one of an editors, Emily Kenik: “What if one day we just decide as a country to go the China way and have our systems change from democracy to a communist party? Would that help our people?”
The room quickly filled with different views, but the discussion eventually moved away from China's political system and towards what Kenya could learn from the country's approach to infrastructure, technology, innovation and economic development.
The editors found one of the strongest lessons in China's shift from pursuing growth at speed to pursuing what Xi describes as “high-quality development”.
The book says China has sought to build consensus around high-quality development while strengthening scientific and technological innovation.
For the Kenyan editors, the question was whether the country could make a similar shift from measuring development by how quickly projects are announced or completed to asking whether they create lasting productivity, jobs and innovation.
President Xi also acknowledges the weaknesses that can hold development back, noting that China remains dependent on others for some core technologies.
More strikingly, he warns against officials who claim to pursue high-quality development while continuing with old approaches.
“They claim to be seeking high-quality development, but in effect are clinging to the old path,” Xi writes.
That line resonated with the editors, who noted that Kenya has repeatedly developed ambitious policies but often struggles to turn them into sustained results.
At the heart of China's approach is what Xi calls “new quality productive forces” — advanced productive forces led by innovation and characterised by “high technology, high efficiency, and high quality”.
For Kenya, the editors argued, that could mean moving beyond exporting raw agricultural products towards processing, investing in technology that improves farming and manufacturing, and linking universities more closely with industry.
China's approach also recognises a role for both government and business.
“They are jointly fostered and stimulated by the ‘visible hand’ of the government and the ‘invisible hand’ of the market,” Xi writes.
Another lesson stood out: the importance of talent and an environment where innovation can thrive.
Xi says China will strengthen skills training while creating “a sound environment that is tolerant of failure and encourages innovation”.
By the end of the discussion, the answer to Kenik’s question was clearer.
Kenya does not need to copy China's political system it can learn from China's focus on productive infrastructure, technological innovation, skills and long-term development while finding its own democratic path to delivering them.
