The government has come to the defense of Samwel Njogu, a Laikipia-based mechanic who received backlash after images of vehicles he designed went viral on social media.
While speaking at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre on Thursday, March 24, Trade and Industrialisation Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) David Osiany stated that Kenyans should have supported the technician rather than ridiculing him.
He wondered why many would scoff at vehicles made in Kenya yet majority of the people mocking the mechanic could not even create little things like a pen.
"As people were laughing at BJ-50, the vehicle made by a Jua Kali artisan in Laikipia. I shuddered to imagine how many could sit down to create a pen let alone a car” the CAS wondered.
The former Hot 96 presenter added that his concept could have created more job opportunities for the youth further asking Kenyans to embrace locally manufactured products.
Osiany revealed that the government decided to support the businessman adding that they were working together to improve the standards of the vehicles for export.
" We all know that for it to sell outside, it must have a standard and we must know that we can replicate 100 of them with the same specs. We have now taken them to the numerical machine complex where we are walking with them in the journey of creating beautiful panels," he disclosed.
The CAS explained that their decision was informed by the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya initiative which was started by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Osiany further acknowledged that there were many creatives who needed government support citing his own experience
"The Buy Kenya Build Kenya has been a strategy intended to transform our sector and what we do. Ordinarily, because I have long arms, my suits are all tailormade and are done in Kenya ya Kibera based tailor.
Despite the backlash, the BJ 50 vehicles were showcased at the 2021 devolution conference by the Laikipia County government even as Governor Ndiritu Muriithi praised Njogu for his creativity.
At the time, the vehicles were estimated to cost Ksh450,000.
