Nambole General Traders: The first steel products manufacturer in Siaya

 The Siaya town-based Nambole General Traders is a steel products manufacturer and the only industry in Siaya county.

 It manufactures chain links, barbed wires and nails and employs 50 people. 

 The company is owned by Stephen Obewo, the chairman of the Siaya branch of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI).

 On Thursday, business leaders called on the government of Kenya to boost the capacity of companies such as Nambole General Traders through the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Fund.

The SME fund, they said, will be able to support many livelihoods and allow such companies remit the much needed tax to the government, thus growth of the nation. 

 "We have seen an impressive set up at Nambole General traders," said the aspiring vice president of the KNCCI Ramadhan Mustapha.

He continued: "This is the perfect example of a business that the government should support. We need to have an SME Fund that give businesses like Nambole an opportunity to impact many lives. "

According to the Nambole proprietor, he needs between Ksh20 million to Ksh30 million in capital to expand and employ 200 more people who will be able to remit 'Pay As You Earn'.

Also, Obewo said that such an amount in capital will enable him reduce on the minimum order quantities when it comes to purchase of raw materials from big manufacturers.

Obewo obtains its raw materials from Uganda and Nairobi.

"Ksh 20million to Ksh30 million that Nambole is looking for is a negligible amount that the SME fund should be able to support. Obewo will be creating a lot of employment opportunities to the general public and the government will able to collect their fair share of tax due to increased profitability," Mustapha said during a visit to the factory.

Mustapha was accompanying KNCCI Vice President who is now aspiring for the presidential position Dr Erick Ruto for the KNCCI campaigns. 

"As KNCCI, we are going to design programs to access market within and without Kenya. We are going to talk to big manufacturers so that we are able to combine several SME manufacturers (like Nambole) when buying raw materials to reduce the minimum order quantities," Dr Ruto said.

Dr Ruto and Mustapha hailed Obewa for creating a 24 hour company that is already contributing to the economic growth of the nation. 

"I wan to believe that Nambole General Traders is going to be a perfect example that businesses like this when supported can create a lot of advantages to the general public," Mustapha said.

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