Nairobi County Unveils Plan for Specialized Wood, Furniture and Metal Works Industrial Park
Nairobi City County has unveiled a comprehensive concept document for the establishment of a specialized Wood, Furniture and Metal Works Industrial Park, marking a significant step toward formalizing and modernizing the city’s vibrant but fragmented Jua Kali sector. The proposed park, to be developed under the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIP) project, will provide dedicated workspaces, modern equipment, and shared facilities for thousands of artisans and small-scale manufacturers currently operating in informal settlements across the capital. This initiative represents one of the most ambitious efforts to date to transform Nairobi’s informal manufacturing sector into a structured, competitive industry.
The concept document outlines a multi-phase development plan featuring specialized zones for woodworking, furniture production, and metal fabrication, complete with modern workshops, showrooms, training centers, and common user facilities. The park will address critical challenges faced by artisans, including inadequate workspace, lack of modern machinery, limited access to markets, and poor working conditions. For decades, our talented carpenters, welders, and metal workers have operated from cramped, unsafe spaces with limited growth potential. This industrial park will provide them with the infrastructure and ecosystem needed to scale their operations, improve product quality, and access regional markets, said County Executive for Trade and Industrialization, Ms. Wanjiku Mbaru, during the document’s unveiling.
The announcement has been met with enthusiasm from artisan associations and Jua Kali sector representatives, who have long advocated for better working conditions and support. The United Jua Artisans Association of Nairobi described the plan as a potential game-changer for the sector. This is exactly what we’ve been asking for—a dedicated space where we can work safely, access modern equipment, and showcase our products professionally. It will help us move from being seen as informal artisans to recognized manufacturers, said John Kamau, chairman of the association’s furniture chapter.
The long-term vision for the industrial park includes creating a specialized economic zone that will position Nairobi as a regional hub for quality furniture and metal products. The county government is exploring public-private partnership models for the park’s development and management, with plans to include business development services, quality certification programs, and market linkage initiatives. This project aligns perfectly with our broader strategy to industrialize Nairobi’s economy from the bottom up. By providing our artisans with the right environment and support, we’re not just creating jobs—we’re building a sustainable, competitive manufacturing sector that can supply both local and export markets, Governor Johnson Sakaja affirmed. If successfully implemented, the park could become a model for formalizing informal sectors across other Kenyan counties.