China is a positive force in the economy of Kenya, said the chief of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Alliance of Kenya, the umbrella body of small entrepreneurs, at a business forum here Monday.

Ben Mutahi, the chairperson of the MSME Alliance of Kenya, told journalists in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that China has emerged as the preferred source country for electronic goods, textiles, cosmetics, vehicle accessories and machinery.

"Chinese goods dominate the Kenyan market as consumers prefer them as they are suited to the tastes of consumers and are also affordable," said Mutahi during the business forum organized by I&M Bank Kenya.

According to Mutahi, Chinese factories can manufacture large quantities of goods to Kenyan specifications in 30 days, compared to other countries, which usually take more than 60 days.

He noted that merchandise once at the port of exit in China can arrive at the Kenyan port of Mombasa in 21 days due to the presence of many shipping lines that ply the route between the Asian nation and Kenya.

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics indicated that imports from China hit 3.48 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, accounting for 18.2 percent of Kenya's total import bill that year.