Furniture firm inks distribution deal with Egyptian manufacturer

Furniture sold at a shop located at Sameer Business Park along Mombasa Road. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

A local kitchen furniture company, Henson Africa has announced a new distribution partnership with Mobica, an Egyptian family-owned private company.

The deal will see Henson Africa distribute Mobica’s furniture across East Africa.

Henson Africa General Manager Ruth Kamau said the Mobica brand has already gained trust in the local market, pointing to the Egyptian company’s loyal network of clients.

“The partnership promises world-class furniture solutions and we couldn’t get a more reliable partner in modern furniture than Mobica,” said Kamau.

The partnership will deliver a range of furniture including educational, retail, health, residential, hospitality and office, characterised by the latest designs, comfort and durability.

Ms Kamau noted that Mobica has invested big in expanding manufacturing capabilities and building its product portfolio. Already, Henson Africa represents three Turkish manufacturers within the furniture, commercial kitchen and commercial laundry sectors.

The growth in demand for furniture has been in tandem with the boom in the real estate sector, including commercial and residential buildings in need of different interior decors.

Thus, despite the imposition of higher import duty on imported furniture, more of these wood-made articles have continued to flow into the country as most Kenyans

In 2021, furniture valued at Sh8.8 billion was imported into the country, an increase of 22 per cent compared to Sh7.2 billion in 2022 according to recent data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

Manufacture of furniture dropped by 3.6 per cent in 2021 mainly due to a 3.6 per cent decrease in the production of mattresses, official data shows. The country also exports furniture and last year, it sold out of the country furniture valued at Sh1.2 billion.