The Kariobangi Light Industry was established in the early 1980s by the Kenyan government. The industrial cluster located in the north of Kariobangi, Nairobi, was created to meet the needs of artisans in the area. It quickly became a hub of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) who were looking to expand their businesses and increase their impact.
Over the years, Kariobangi Light Industry has become home to a wide range of skilled artisans and traders with multiple talents, including manufacturing. Many of these artisans are now members of the Juakali Sector Entrepreneur Association, which is registered with the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) as an empowerment association to help MSMEs upscale their businesses through training, savings, and business loans.
At Kariobangi Light Industry, manufacturing is one of the primary focus sectors of these skilled artists. They are known for their expertise in various areas such as mattress production, common user machine production, construction machines, agricultural machines, soap-making machines, cardboard production, woodwork and wood value addition, plastic production, shoe polish production, and dye production, among others.
George Odipo had always been fascinated by metal fabrication and manufacturing from a young age. Unfortunately, he was forced to drop out of school in class three due to financial constraints. Despite this setback, George was determined to pursue his passion.
In 1997, he left his home county Siaya and travelled to Nairobi, where he was hosted by his uncle. Through his uncle’s interventions, George landed a casual job in an Asian company that specialized in manufacturing and metal fabrication in Industrial Area. He worked hard and was eventually absorbed as a permanent employee. He worked for the company for five years before resigning to start his own business in 2003.
However, George had not saved enough money to set up proper business premises, so he started giving door-to-door services. Whenever a client needed metal fabrication services, George would go and work at the client’s premises until he finished the desired product.
Despite the challenges, George’s talent and hard work paid off, and in 2015, he finally opened his own machinery manufacturing company at Kariobangi Light Industries. He named it George’s Agricultural Machinery and began manufacturing agricultural and construction machines such as posho mills, rice haulers, chaff cutters, feed mixers, underground water tanks, sugar cane crushers, vibrating screens for sieving sand, maize shellers, disc millers, adhesive machines that manufacture cement, vegetable cabbage cutters, among others.
The prices for the adhesive construction machine range from Kshs. 35,000 to 4,000,000. To date, he has manufactured and sold five of these machines to construction companies across the country, including Mombasa Bombolulu, Kitengela, Syokimau, Murang’a, and South C.
With the growth of his business, George has trained and employed 12 staff members on a casual basis to help with manufacturing as he continues to provide quality products and services to his clients. If you would like to place an order or inquire about George’s products, kindly contact him at 0720899136 or click onhttps://msea.go.ke/kariobangi-light-industries/to see his portfolio of products and prices.
MANUFACTURING INNOVATION AT KARIOBANGI LIGHT INDUSTRIES
The Kariobangi Light Industry was established in the early 1980s by the Kenyan government. The industrial cluster located in the north of Kariobangi, Nairobi, was created to meet the needs of artisans in the area. It quickly became a hub of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) who were looking to expand their businesses and increase their impact.
Over the years, Kariobangi Light Industry has become home to a wide range of skilled artisans and traders with multiple talents, including manufacturing. Many of these artisans are now members of the Juakali Sector Entrepreneur Association, which is registered with the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) as an empowerment association to help MSMEs upscale their businesses through training, savings, and business loans.
At Kariobangi Light Industry, manufacturing is one of the primary focus sectors of these skilled artists. They are known for their expertise in various areas such as mattress production, common user machine production, construction machines, agricultural machines, soap-making machines, cardboard production, woodwork and wood value addition, plastic production, shoe polish production, and dye production, among others.
George Odipo had always been fascinated by metal fabrication and manufacturing from a young age. Unfortunately, he was forced to drop out of school in class three due to financial constraints. Despite this setback, George was determined to pursue his passion.
In 1997, he left his home county Siaya and travelled to Nairobi, where he was hosted by his uncle. Through his uncle’s interventions, George landed a casual job in an Asian company that specialized in manufacturing and metal fabrication in Industrial Area. He worked hard and was eventually absorbed as a permanent employee. He worked for the company for five years before resigning to start his own business in 2003.
However, George had not saved enough money to set up proper business premises, so he started giving door-to-door services. Whenever a client needed metal fabrication services, George would go and work at the client’s premises until he finished the desired product.
Despite the challenges, George’s talent and hard work paid off, and in 2015, he finally opened his own machinery manufacturing company at Kariobangi Light Industries. He named it George’s Agricultural Machinery and began manufacturing agricultural and construction machines such as posho mills, rice haulers, chaff cutters, feed mixers, underground water tanks, sugar cane crushers, vibrating screens for sieving sand, maize shellers, disc millers, adhesive machines that manufacture cement, vegetable cabbage cutters, among others.
The prices for the adhesive construction machine range from Kshs. 35,000 to 4,000,000. To date, he has manufactured and sold five of these machines to construction companies across the country, including Mombasa Bombolulu, Kitengela, Syokimau, Murang’a, and South C.
With the growth of his business, George has trained and employed 12 staff members on a casual basis to help with manufacturing as he continues to provide quality products and services to his clients. If you would like to place an order or inquire about George’s products, kindly contact him at 0720899136 or click on https://msea.go.ke/kariobangi-light-industries/ to see his portfolio of products and prices.
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