Italian suppliers chase Kenya's construction boom as bilateral trade rises 39%
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Twenty-one Italian companies are exhibiting at Big 5 Construct Kenya in Nairobi, with the Italian Trade Agency putting two-way trade at about KSh40.95 billion and Italian construction-product exports at KSh1.7 billion.
Italy has brought 21 companies to the Big 5 Construct Kenya exhibition in Nairobi as it seeks to increase its market share in a construction market driven by demand for machinery, pumps, piping systems and building materials. The ninth edition of the fair runs from 21 to 23 October at the Sarit Expo Centre, bringing together manufacturers, contractors, suppliers and other players in construction and infrastructure.
The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) estimates that bilateral trade between Kenya and Italy rose 39% to approximately KSh40.95 billion in 2025, while Italian exports across 12 selected construction-related product categories reached about KSh1.7 billion. Despite that growth, Italy accounts for only 2% of the market covered by those categories, which the agency presented as room for manufacturers to expand.
Trade data show Italian pump exports to Kenya rose 5% to roughly KSh920 million in 2025, giving Italy a 9.61% market share and fourth place among suppliers. Centrifugal pumps accounted for about KSh739 million of those exports, an 8% increase on 2024, while exports of other liquid pumps rose 26% to approximately KSh72 million.
Italian suppliers are also targeting building materials, with ceramic tile exports reaching about KSh160 million and plastic pipes and fittings accounting for approximately KSh99 million last year. The Italian pavilion has expanded to 21 companies from 17 at the previous edition, with participating firms seeking new commercial partnerships and stronger links with Kenyan contractors, distributors and project developers.
The push is supported by a construction sector that grew by 6.8% in 2025, alongside an estimated annual housing deficit of 200,000 units. Demand for roads, railways, ports, housing and water infrastructure is expected to sustain appetite for construction equipment and specialised materials, while Kenya's imports of crushing, grinding and concrete-processing machinery stood at approximately KSh20.75 billion.
The exhibition is being used to deepen commercial ties under the Kenya-Italy Action Plan for 2026-2029, with Italian firms positioning themselves for projects across transport, housing and water infrastructure.