Kenya has found herself right in the center of a fresh war between the US and China over a multi-billion dollar space project that Washington believes will jeopardize its dominance.
NASA, a US space agency warned that China was using the space deal with Kenya to undercut Washington and other foreign launch and satellite providers internationally.
Nasa Chief Jim Bridenstine told the US Congress that the US space supremacy is at risk in the face of the planned Chinses space station that involves Kenya and China hopes will take effect by 2022.
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting human crew in orbit for a longer period. The special vessels are commonly used for scientific reasons but military applications are also possible.
The Internation Space Station (ISS) is a product of collaboration between state agencies from Canada, Europe, Japan, and Russia.
The ISS is expected to be decommissioned by 2030 and plans to launch a replacement in partnership with the private sector players.
On the other hand, China is planning to build its won space station and has enlisted scientists from numerous countries, including Kenya to participate in the program.
Other countries include Japan France, Germany, and Peru according to Xinhua news agency.
But the US believes that China is using its space program to enhance its terrestrial geopolitical objective such as cultivating customers for the Belt and Road Initiative, at the same time using diplomatic ties to advance its space goals
According to Nasa, Beijing aims to establish an expanding network of overseas space ground stations with countries like Kenya to establish a leading position in the economic and military use of outer space through such partnerships.
NASA says this is expected to see the deepening of reliance on Beijing’s allies on China’s space-based services.
“China is rapidly building what they call the ‘Chinese International Space Station’, and they’re rapidly marketing that space station to all of our international partners,” Bridenstine was quoted saying by news agency AFP.
“It would be a tragedy, if, after all of this time, and all of this effort, we (US) were to abandon low Earth orbit and cede that territory.”
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The claims come weeks after a Pentagon report warned that Beijing was eyeing military logistics in various countries around the world including Kenya to build and sustain its military power around the world.
A claim that was dismissed by the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi terming it propaganda.
Kenya’s increasing engagement with China comes amid the latter’s plan to implement the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative that aims to strengthen trade with African countries.
Beijing is funding billions of shillings worth of infrastructure projects in Kenya through the initiative.
The US has, however, urged Kenya to be cautious of the heavy borrowing from China, warning that it can be saddled with unplayable for the projects built largely with Chinese labor.
But President Kenyatta’s administration has maintained that the borrowing to build the mega projects will increase the country’s economic growth and development.
Related: China’s Military Targeting Kenya
