Kenyan-Chinese marriages are on the rise

With the number of Chinese tourists to Kenya topping 40,000 last year and many earlier arrivals having chosen to remain behind, becoming naturalized Kenyan citizens, the ties between Kenya and China have never been stronger.

Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism statistics project that in 2016, more than 100,000 tourists will visit the country as the tourism sector continues to improve, after years of decline due to terror attacks.

“The Kenyan Constitution allows dual citizenship, but China does not," William Ruto, Kenya’s Deputy President, said in a recent interview. "Due to the brain drain of professionals in different job categories, we need experienced and trained workers in different fields. We are in short supply of doctors in different fields of medicine such as surgery, ophthalmologists, general physicians, pediatricians and also gynecologists. Kenya [also] needs other professionals in other fields as well."

Since China does not allow dual citizenship, Chinese citizens who became naturalized Kenyans have to relinquish the citizenship of their motherland. A large number of them are educated and are helping the Kenyan economy, according to Ruto.

They include doctors, engineers, pilots, information technology experts, scientists, and business people - professionals in areas in which Kenya’s brain drain is most acutely being felt. Many of them have bought real estate in Kenya.

Changing lanes

Dr. Guo Chongli is one of those who have made the transition to Kenyan citizenship. The 63-year-old ophthalmologist has his laser eye clinic in Nairobi.

“There are many economic opportunities in Africa, particularly in Kenya," Guo told ChinAfrica. "I came as a tourist back in 2010. However, many surprises came up and I had to apply for a work permit from the Kenyan immigration department. Having experience as an ophthalmologist, I opened a specialized eye clinic the following year."

He said he has successfully treated over 11,500 patients to date, using laser technology to treat damaged corneas. It is an alternative to surgery. “They would have [had to] spend a lot of money going back to China to receive such a service," Guo said.

Acquiring Kenyan citizenship was facilitated by his marriage to a Kenyan documentary producer, Margaret Wahome. The couple now has two children and has invested in real estate and a bar in the Nairobi city center.

“I am not a gold digger. I married him because I love him," Wahome said. "Though he is almost twice my age, we have a lot in common. I hope to visit China with him some day."

Another Kenyan about to take the matrimonial plunge is Atieno Onyango, a 26-year-old police officer from Kiambu County bordering Nairobi. "I am engaged to a Chinese who is already a [naturalized] citizen of Kenya," a beaming Onyango said. "He is a martial arts instructor in an upmarket Nairobi gym. We met during a training session two years ago."

Finding a new home

According to immigration department figures in December 2015, a total of 1,709 Chinese have obtained Kenyan citizenship. In early January 2016, about 200 applications from Chinese nationals were awaiting approval. Sixty-three applicants were turned down in 2015 for various reasons. Some of the reasons were lack of adequate qualifications required for employment, or problems found during background checks, such as a criminal record in China.

As more Chinese marry Kenyans, some marriages end up in divorce. So an understanding of the local law is important, said Judy Thongori, a veteran family lawyer based in Nairobi. According to court records, 22 such cases involving former Chinese nationals are pending.

“According to Kenyan law, if one is not a native Kenyan and there is a divorce, the property will be divided between the couple. Also, the person who is a naturalized Kenyan citizen may end up being deported to his/her mother country. But that is only if the Kenyan Government decides to strip him/her of citizenship," Thongori explained. "In that case, he/she may end up stateless if he/she has surrendered the previous citizenship. There could be legal complications thereafter."

Documentary scrutiny

Some factors that can increase an applicant’s chances of getting Kenyan citizenship are marrying a Kenyan, having children who were born in Kenya, owning property, in this case real estate, in Kenya, and having qualifications for finding employment.

Unemployment in Kenya remains high, running at more than 40 percent, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. But it’s the quality of labor that is of utmost concern, especially in the light of the worrying brain drain.

“High unemployment does not mean we do not need labor. It is partly because people make the wrong career decisions," said Germano Mwabu, an economics professor at the University of Nairobi. "The important jobs are ignored, such as doctors. We are experiencing a brain drain of important professionals who are going abroad for better opportunities. So in short, we lack skilled labor."

While nationals from many other countries are getting Kenyan citizenship, sometimes questions are raised on how they obtain the legal documents.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) Kenya has information on how Kenyan passports, birth certificates and national identification cards are ending up in the hands of illegal aliens. The intelligence service holds "corrupt officials" as being indirectly responsible for the increase in terror attacks in the country.

Since 2014, according to NIS records, 36,101 Somali nationals had their Kenyan documents confiscated and were deported to their country.

So for Chinese nationals with the right skills, opportunities in Kenya are making it an increasingly attractive country to call home.

(Reporting from Kenya)