How COVID Brought Down a Furniture Factory — But Not a Vision

Many businesses collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic as rent piled up, bills accumulated, and cash flow dried up. One of them was a furniture manufacturing factory that had only recently come back to life. But according to businessman Kenneth Okwara, the collapse marked not an end — but a turning point.

Speaking about his journey, Okwara says the story began long before COVID-19, with a phone call made while he was sourcing furniture for a hotel project. An old Asian supplier informed him that a factory he once owned had been sold to an operator who could not manage it. The machines had been idle, the warehouse closed for three years, and the entire operation was available for sale.

Driven by a long-held dream of owning a factory, Okwara took the risk.

What he found was a near-derelict operation: rusted machines, broken extruders, leaking roofs, scattered tools, and worn-out equipment. With limited technical knowledge and a purchase price he later admits was far too high, the odds were stacked against success. Still, he pressed on.

“I was already in the arena,” Okwara said, echoing Theodore Roosevelt’s famous words on courage and action.

At significant personal cost, the factory was refurbished. Machines believed to be beyond repair were restored, and production resumed. Plastic pipes were transformed into bamboo-style chairs, marking the realization of a long-held manufacturing dream.

But in 2020, COVID-19 struck.

Lockdowns forced the factory to shut down. Production stopped. Rent and bills continued to mount. Eventually, the business collapsed under the financial strain.

Okwara, however, does not describe the experience as failure.

For nearly two years afterward, he immersed himself in Nairobi’s Industrial Area, walking factory floors, engaging technicians, and studying manufacturing processes. Through observation and persistence, he came to a defining realization: manufacturing success depends less on inspiration and more on discipline, systems, and consistency.

Today, that knowledge has reshaped his mission.

Rather than rebuilding a single large factory, Okwara now supports young entrepreneurs in establishing small cottage industries. He mentors them from idea to production, helping them formalize operations and build sustainable enterprises. Several of these ventures are now operating successfully.

“My factory today is people,” Okwara said. “Building skills, confidence, and opportunity.”

While COVID-19 silenced his machines, it clarified his purpose — transforming a business setback into a platform for broader economic impact.

Source: Kenneth Okwara