International building-materials and equipment makers are lining up for Kenya’s construction rebound as the ninth Big 5 Construct Kenya exhibition opens in Nairobi later this month against a project pipeline Construct Africa values at about $26 billion (Sh3.38 trillion).
More than 150 exhibitors from over 25 countries are expected at Sarit Expo Centre from October 21 to 23, according to organisers dmg events. Kenya already accounts for 64.4 per cent of identified construction-project value in East Africa, Construct Africa data show, making it the region’s largest market by that measure.
Sector back in growth after 2024 dip
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Economic Survey 2026 recorded construction growth of 6.8 per cent in 2025 after a 0.7 per cent contraction in 2024. That recovery, plus a heavy slate of housing, roads and commercial works, is pulling in suppliers of cement, steel, finishes, machinery and digital construction tools.
“Kenya’s substantial project pipeline is creating demand for a broad range of products, expertise and specialist services,” said Josine Heijmans, senior vice president at dmg events and organiser of the show.
Country pavilions from China, Egypt, Germany, Italy and Türkiye will share the floor with international names including Liebherr, RIB Software, MC-Bauchemie, Ceramica Cleopatra and Silkcoat Paint Company. Kenyan exhibitors on the list include Kohler East Africa, Henkel Kenya, Wood Products Kenya, Elite Tools, King Tiles and Neuce Paints.
Twelve product tracks and a green trail
The fair covers 12 industry tracks — from concrete and cement to HVACR, MEP, intelligent buildings and modular construction. A new Big 5 Impact Trail will group lower-impact and resource-efficient products, with participants including Knauf Gypsum Tanzania, National Paints Factories, ProNature and The Supreme Industries.
More than 25 conference sessions will feature speakers from the Ministry of Roads and Transport, the National Construction Authority, the Architectural Association of Kenya and the International Federation of Consulting Engineers.
“Across the three days, professionals will have the opportunity to see solutions first-hand, exchange knowledge with peers and have practical conversations around the projects and requirements driving the market,” Ms Heijmans said. Contractors still face high financing costs and expensive inputs, but the size of the pipeline is keeping foreign suppliers focused on Nairobi.
Kenya’s project list spans public infrastructure under Vision 2030 and the Construction Industry Development Policy as well as private housing and commercial stock. That breadth matters for suppliers: a crane maker, a tile factory and a digital project-management vendor can all find buyers in the same three-day show.
Organisers are pitching the event as a matchmaking floor for local contractors who need reliable import channels and for foreign manufacturers who still find East Africa fragmented. With construction already more than three-fifths of identified regional project value, Nairobi remains the obvious first stop. Whether the $26 billion pipeline converts into firm orders will depend on financing costs easing and on developers clearing the input-price and delivery bottlenecks that still slow many sites.
Sources: The Star | Breaking Kenya News
Photo: SuaveKevinKariuki / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
