Institute hosts a 5-day Sensitization Workshop for Jua Kali in Eldoret

Photo: Alton Kogo (2nd Left), Director North Rift, Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA), hands over a certificate of participation to Richard Muteti, Institute’s Board Member and KNFJKA Chief Executive Officer. They are flanked by Antoninah Makoba (Left), Chairlady of Fashions and Design Association, John Onyango (3rd Right), KIPI MD and Richard Opar (2nd Right), KNFJKA Secretary General, Uasin Gishu Chapter during the closing ceremony of the Workshop.

The Uasin Gishu County Government is determined to facilitate the protection, promotion and commercialisation of innovations, especially by the Micro, Small and Medium Entreprises (MSMEs). Eng. Martha Cheruto, who is  the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Trade, Industrialization, Tourism, Cooperatives and Enterprise Development said they intend to achieve this under the devolved government’s Pillar Number Four of its Nguzo Kumi (10 Pillar) manifesto, which focuses on Economic Transformation and Enterprise Development. Eng. Cheruto, said they recognize that economic transformation is not just about physical infrastructure or access to markets.
“It is also about ideas, about innovations and about protecting and monetizing those ideas through Intellectual Property (IP),” she said this in a speech read on her behalf by Edwin Korir, the County’s Director of Trade during the closing of a 5-day Sensitization Workshop.

The Institute hosted the Workshop for the members of the Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Associations (KNFJKA), Uasin Gishu Chapter, in Eldoret.

“Intellectual Property is the currency of innovation. It is the tool through which our entrepreneurs can own, safeguard, and commercialize their creativity,” Eng. Cheruto said. She, however, regretted that many of their MSMEs are unaware of the value of IP or are intimidated by the legal and procedural hurdles involved in registration.  “That is why this training was critical,” she said, “But the training does not stand alone. It is part of a broader ecosystem we are building in Uasin Gishu County.” She said the County is in the process of establishing the County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP) — a flagship initiative aimed at promoting agro-processing, value addition, and industrial linkages. 

Also, the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) they are developing will give its producers access to international markets. “But with those opportunities come new challenges — especially around global competition, product differentiation, and counterfeit risks,” she said, “That is where IP protection becomes not just important, but essential.” She observed that, by aligning the training with the rollout of CAIP and EPZ, they are positioning Uasin Gishu as a County that does not just produce — but innovates, protects, and exports proudly. “Through this training, we expect to see a measurable increase in the number of local trade marks, patents, copyrights, and industrial designs registered,” Eng. Cheruto said.

The Workshop, which attracted over 100 participants drawn from different sub-sectors of the Jua Kali Sector including mechanical and electrical works, fashion and design, masonry, metal fabrication, carpentry and joinery, panel beating and spray painting.  
Opening the Workshop, Allan Kosgey, KIPI Board Chairman, said the Government appreciates the role the Jua Kali Sector plays in Kenya's socio-economic development through creation of direct and indirect jobs throughout the manufacturing value chain, which has played a great role in income generation to Kenyans and wealth creation in the country. 

Citing the 2025 Economic Survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), he said the economy created 782,000 new jobs in 2024.  He noted that although this is lower than the 848,200 jobs created in 2023, the informal sector, which Jua Kali Sector is a key driver, accounted for 703,700 or 90 per cent of the new jobs. This is compared to the formal sector, which generated 78,600 jobs. 
"This is commendable but still you can do more and better if you protect, brand and commercialize your IPRs as you will learn from our experienced facilitators in the next five days you will be here," he said. 

Using a wheelbarrow as an example, which is one of the products the sector is widely renowned for as a major producer, he said in most cases they sell them either in wholesale or retail but without any indication of who the producer is or where it was manufactured. "While you may not get a patent unless you come up with an invention that is new, registering a trademark and using it to brand your wheelbarrows, complete with your contact details would be a game changer in your business as you will learn in this Workshop," Kosgey said. 

He said the branded wheelbarrows will be easily differentiated from those of one's neighbour, if they are of high quality they will not be confused or associated with poor quality ones and in case customers buy inferior ones they will not associate them with the superior ones. 
"This means you are assured of return customers, which will translate to more business," he said. He noted that this is just one aspect of intellectual property. "Besides patents and trade marks, we have industrial designs, utility models, copyright and plant breeder's rights," said Kosgey.

Richard Muteti, the Institute’s Board Member and KNFJKA Chief Executive Officer, said the Government is increasingly listening and appreciating the Jua Kali Sector. He challenged the Sector players to continue engaging the Government and its Agencies in order to improve their productivity and competitiveness in the local and international markets. He said: "We should not be satisfied with what we are today and should aspire to grow our businesses across the country and even spread into the region." 

Besides the Institute, other institutions including the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI), Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), Uasin Gishu Chapter, and the Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA) made presentations.
"I urge you to make use of this opportunity to not only learn about what the facilitators of these Agencies will inform you, but also to network and exchange ideas among yourselves," Muteti said.

John Onyango, the Institute’s Managing Director, said the Institute has been engaging the Jua Kali Sector because it plays a crucial role in actualizing key Government policies. He singled out the role the Sector is playing in the implementation of the Government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA)'s five key Pillars, which he said has enabled it to support the livelihoods of Kenyans thereby improving their living standards. 

The BETA Pillars are Agriculture, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Economy, Housing and Settlement, Healthcare, and Digital Superhighway and Creative Economy.

Later, the KIPI Board Chairman took time to tour the exhibitors stand and one workshop to engage the innovators on their innovations.
He visited the affordable housing project in Kidiwa in Eldoret and said the Institute is happy the Jua Kali Sector is benefiting from the Government's affordable housing programme. 

Muteti said their Sector players are currently supplying doors, windows and staircase rails to different affordable housing projects across the country.  He said they are lobbying the Government in an effort to increase the products they are supplying from the current two (doors, windows and staircase rails) to at least 10 out of about 67-69 products used to put up the affordable housing projects.