While driving along Flamingo Road near Center, one cannot overlook over 40 furniture businesses that line the stretch, offering a variety of items like chairs, beds, and tables among others.

We meet Alexander Mureithi at his stall surrounded by a colourful variety of furniture pieces.

For eleven years, Mureithi has woken up to this stall hopeful that he will make a good sale. However, he narrates how there are months that go by without selling a single unit.

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“Over the years I have learnt to be patient in this business. There are times we sell nothing but then one client can come and make up for the slow days,” he says.

One of the furniture stalls along Lake road.

Photo credit: MERCY KIHUGU/MTAA WANGU

For Mureithi, the lifting of the logging ban by President William Ruto is a light at the end of the tunnel for his business.

“We had a very good run until the government effected the ban on logging. Now that it has been lifted, we hope business will improve,” adds Mureithi.

His sentiments are echoed by Ezekiel Mwenja who notes that although this business is regarded as sustainable, it can be unpredictable, thus requiring patience due to the fluctuating costs of raw materials, especially wood.

Ezekiel Mwenja at his furniture shop on Lake Road in Nakuru.

Photo credit: MERCY KIHUGU/MTAA WANGU

Mwenja emphasizes the significance of making raw materials accessible to maintain the industry's success since the furniture business highly depends on forest products, especially wood and timber.

When asked about passing on his skills to the younger generation, Mureithi adds that there is a need for the government to invest in the Technical Vocational Training Centers in the county to help bridge the skills gap.

"I suggest that the government should invest in TVETs to equip the youth with technical skills and bridge the unemployment and skills gap among the youth," he adds.

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Shadrack Wambugu, a youth from Lakeview working as a painter in one of the furniture shops, says he sustains himself through his job, even though he does not have any formal training.

Shadrack Wambugu, a painter at one of the furniture stores along Lake road.

Photo credit: MERCY KIHUGU/MTAA WANGU

Wambugu aspires to join a technical training centre to refine his skills.

He encourages other youth not to wait for white-collar jobs and instead get out of their comfort zone and do available jobs.

mercykihugu@gmail.com

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Mercy Kihugu