The Kenyan government is set to pump billions of shillings into the informal Jua Kali industry.
The government has announced it will purchase Sh3 billion ($30 million) worth of doors and windows from the informal sector locally known as Jua Kali as part of the affordable housing project.
Infrastructure ministry says it will place the orders to produce 100,000 doors and 120,000 windows from local providers.
“The Jua Kali Sector is a big contributor to employment in the country and a key enabler of the manufacturing sector. We are keen to up-skill them to enable them to contribute to this national development project while supporting their growth,” said Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga.
The ministry has asked players in the Jua Kali industry to form association and register with them so that they can access opportunities as project suppliers to produce doors and windows for Nairobi’s Starehe and Shauri Moyo estates.
The three selected lots will pioneer re-development of government-owned residential estates from single dwellings to multi-storeyed apartments starting with Nairobi’s Park Road estate and spread to 36 counties that committed to providing land for the project.
The flagship projects include Park Road estate where 1,640 housing units will be built, Starehe (3,500), Shauri Moyo (5,300), Social housing (15,000) and Mavoko with 5,500 units.
The nationwide programme will be rolled out in the next three years where 7,000 acres of public land has been reserved.
Mr. Hinga added that the Ministry has ring-fenced some components used in construction of homes to ensure that the Jua Kali sector can supply inputs to the Program.
“We have ring-fenced 69 items which must be supplied by our Jua Kali sector,” he said.
The Jua Kali Association National Chairman Richard Muteti has challenged the sector to organize itself in order to deal with the Government – one of the largest markets they could serve.
He challenged the Jua Kali Association members across the country to form groups, as it is easier for the Government to transact with Associations rather than a multitude of individual Jua Kali entrepreneurs.
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