- The ninth edition of Big 5 Construct Kenya opened at the Sarit Expo Centre, bringing together exhibitors from more than 25 countries
- KNCCI president Eric Rutto highlighted Kenya's housing shortage of two million units as a key driver for the three-day construction sector event
- Official country pavilions from Turkey, Italy, China, Germany and Egypt featured among the international delegations at the Nairobi exhibition
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;)
TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.
The ninth edition of Big 5 Construct Kenya opened on Wednesday, October 21, at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, launching three days of industry engagement aimed at accelerating progress in Kenya's construction sector in line with Vision 2030 targets.
Source: UGC
Eric Rutto, the president of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), performed the inauguration ceremony alongside Alessandra Rainaldi of the Italian Trade Agency, Kareem Hamdy, economic and trade counsellor at the Embassy of Egypt, and senior representatives from event organiser dmg events, including senior vice president Josine Heijmans and associate vice president Hussein Abdel Khalik.
What took centre stage?
Rutto told TUKO.co.ke that the KNCCI's primary interest in the exhibition is deepening trade links between Kenya and the more than 25 participating countries, while also attracting construction investment to address an acute shortage of housing units.
"Currently in Kenya, we have a shortage of two million houses. And there is another requirement of 250,000 units that we have to be able to establish," Rutto said, adding that the chamber's 60,000-strong membership includes a significant number of players from the building and construction industry.
He emphasised the chamber's goal of facilitating business-to-business connections between Kenyan companies and the international exhibitors present at the event.
What to know about Big 5 Construct
Heijmans described the event as the annual platform through which Kenya's construction stakeholders convene, noting that this year's edition attracted over 150 exhibitors representing countries including Turkey, Italy, China, Germany and Egypt, each of which has set up an official national pavilion.
"Kenya is among Africa’s fastest-growing markets, with Vision 2030 driving significant investment in housing, transport and other infrastructure projects. The companies attending the exhibition aim to support these developments by providing the technologies and solutions needed to advance the country’s construction sector," Heijmans said.
Beyond the exhibition floor, the event will feature a programme called Big Five Talks, covering themes such as architecture and design, technology and innovation, project management and sustainability, with expert speakers presenting across all three days.
Heijmans highlighted that the exhibition offers construction professionals a direct opportunity to evaluate and compare products from international suppliers in person, testing their suitability for ongoing and planned projects across the country.
Which other event did Kenya host?
In other news, we also highlighted facts about the East Africa Fashion Life Show.
At least 120 Kenyan and Chinese companies exhibited in Nairobi from August 13 to 15, 2026.
The expo aimed to connect local designers and companies with international manufacturers, buyers and trade opportunities.
Source: TUKO.co.ke