What sets you apart is the uniqueness of anything you do, which can also make you great. For Kelvin Odari and Stephen Odhiambo, adopting the idea to assemble moving furniture was meant to change their life and their perspective towards carpentry.
The two carpenters based at Ngong Racecourse, Nairobi, came into limelight when a viral video of their moving seat was shared on social media platforms on Wednesday, June 10.
Speaking with Kenyans.co.ke on Thursday, June 11, the duo shared details of their life journey and how they hatched the idea which has seen prominent people such as Machakos Governor, Alfred Mutua laud their talent and become a frequent customer.
The moving seat is designed to act as park bench when folded, and a table seat when unfolded. Odari explains that their prices range from Ksh 25,000 to Ksh 40,000.
"We adopted the idea to assemble this seat from the internet this year (2020) and people love them. Since the video was shared, we have received a number of offers to design them.
"We usually buy wood from workshops depending on the size of the seat we are designing. A piece of an 8x4 wood sells at Ksh 400 and 12x4 sells at Ksh800. To assemble one seat can cost around Ksh 5,000 and can take between 3 to 4 days," Odari disclosed.
Odhiambo added that five of them including Odari and him, came up with the idea to work together in 2010 after they met in Nairobi. All five of them stay in Dagoretti and commute daily to their workshop for work.
"All of us learned this trade from watching how experienced artisans constructed and renovated furniture. We started with common structures like beds and seats and adopted this new trend lately.
"With the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, our business has not thrived well. However, we understand its part of life," Odhiambo stated.
The five carpenters are looking forward to creating social media pages where they can capitalize on the growing market.
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua disclosed that he usually supports the artisans' work, joining many Kenyans in appreciating how innovative the carpenters are.
"This looks like Dagoretti corner - Ngong road furniture place. That is where I like getting furniture made so that the money circulates among my people. If you insist on quality and diligence, they design for you an equivalent of what you can purchase in imported furniture shops," Mutua tweeted.
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