Italy's bet on Kenya's construction industry
Nairobi
By
Fred Kagonye
| Oct 20, 2026
Kenya’s construction sector is seeing the country become a leading market place for products and solutions.
As a result, the Big 5 Construct Kenya 2026 expo is set to take place at the Sarit Center, Nairobi with participation from over 9,500 construction professionals and 150 exhibitors from 25 countries.
Among the exhibiting countries is Italy which is seeking to expand their business relations through 21 companies in the three-day event, making them one of the countries with the highest number of participants.
According to the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the country and Kenya’s trade experienced 35 per cent growth in 2025 and stood at Sh45 billion.
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In the same period, Italy exports to Kenya across 12 product lines was Sh1.6 billion holding a 2 per cent market share.
The country is the fourth ranking of pump supplies to Kenya with their total exports standing at Sh918 million.
Seven of the Italian companies will be dealing with heavy equipment and precast systems with the country being one of the world leading manufacturers in heavy construction equipment and concrete machinery.
They are banking on the construction boom in the country and the larger Eastern Africa region to secure business.
The companies are Betonform SRL, Metalgalante S.P.A, Nordimpianti System S.R.L, Schnell S.P.A, Simem S.P.A, New Design S.R.L and AS Labruna S.R.L.
AS Labruna for instance deals with diesel engines, generators and cranes with the rest dealing with concrete works.
In the machinery market, Italy supplied Kenya with crushing, grinding and concrete processing machinery valued at Sh20 billion, ITA said.
In the second category four companies dealing with ceramics are set to take part to showcase the rich history that Italy has and is seeking to export to the region.
The four; Ceramiche Caesar S.P.A, Keran Ceramics SRL, Mirage Granito Ceramico S.P.A. and Nikolaus Bagnara S.P.A will be banking on the construction boom as well as they showcase their tiles, ceramic and granite surface materials and the development of natural stone products.
With the climate changes, water management will be among the showcases with four companies seeking to educate on efficient water management, plumbing systems and flow control infrastructure.
The management of water has been named as a critical to sustainable construction projects all over the world.
Aquatechnik Group S.P.A. will be showcasing plastic piping systems for water and gas installations while IVR SPA will showcase industrial valves and flow control systems.
OMP - SPA will be showcasing their expertise as a leading Italian manufacturer of drainage traps, wastes and sanitary drainage systems since 1957 with Plastitalia S.P.A showcasing plastic pipe fittings and systems.
Quality structural components are the backbone of any construction world over.
Bossong S.P.A. and Rotho Blaas SRL will showcase anchoring and chemical fastening systems as well as structural connectors and timber fasteners respectively.
Environmental sustainability is critical to construction with Italy seeking to leverage on technology to produce protective coatings that are regulatory compliant for the building of a smart and sustainable East Africa.
Cromology Italia S.P.A. and Iris Color S.R.L. will be showcasing their sustainable paints, coating systems and wall care solutions respectively.
On the other end, Itelyum Purification S.P.A. which deals with industrial waste recovery, solvent purification and responsible waste management will also showcase as well as Valpaint S.P.A. which deals with decorative and protective coating systems.