A 28-year-old Jua Kali artisan from Kisumu is drawing attention after growing his Kamukunji workshop into a steady income source and a job-creating space for young people, showing how Kenya’s informal sector can still produce real success stories when given the right support.
John Otieno, who hails from Seme in Kisumu County, is the founder of Faith General Workshop, based at Kamukunji along Jogoo Road in Nairobi.
His story is going viral not just because of the money he is making, but because he is quietly creating opportunities for others at a time when many young people are struggling to find work.
In Kenya, unemployment continues to frustrate millions of youth. The Federation of Kenya Employers notes that young people aged 18 to 34 face the highest unemployment rate at 67 per cent.
Otieno says he understands that pressure, and it is one of the reasons he refused to give up even when things were tough.
“There is nothing as terrible as unemployment,” said Otieno. “I came to Nairobi with one objective: to create a life for myself and my family.”
Otieno joined the informal sector in 2017, working for someone in his home county before making the decision to move to Nairobi in 2018.
He continued with the same work as he tried to establish himself in the city, and in 2022, he finally set up his own workshop, Faith General Workshop.
“When I started the shop, I had no idea how it would run. I just wanted to make a living,” he said. “Since then, my growth has been gradual. I am happy because through me, other people are also earning a living.”
His turning point came in 2025 after he attended a training programme offered by the Mastercard Foundation in partnership with the KCB Foundation for small business owners in Nairobi.
Otieno says the programme gave him practical skills that helped him run his business better and understand how to grow.
“That training was a game-changer for me, to be honest,” he said. “Through the training, I was able to learn about bookkeeping, how to manage customers, marketing strategies, and business development skills.”
He says the impact was clear once he applied what he learnt to his daily work and customer handling, noting that the improvements started reflecting in his earnings and the way he managed operations.
“I have applied these crucial elements in my business, and I have seen the advantages,” he added.
Ksh 50, 000 income
When he started, Otieno says he could barely make Ksh 5,000 a month. Today, he earns between Ksh 30,000 and Ksh 50,000 monthly, a major jump that reflects years of persistence, consistency, and better business management.
At Faith General Workshop, Otieno manufactures a wide range of metal products tailored to customer needs, including items used by households, small traders, and farmers.
His work has helped him build a name in the area while maintaining the steady flow of orders that keep his workshop running.
Beyond the workshop, Otieno has also expanded into agriculture back in Kisumu County, where he runs a livestock enterprise and engages in other farming activities. The father of three says farming has helped strengthen his family’s livelihood and created an extra stream of income.
Otieno’s journey is now being viewed as an example of what is possible when informal sector entrepreneurs receive training and support. From a young man struggling to survive on Ksh 5,000 a month to a workshop owner earning up to KShs 50,000 and creating opportunities for others, his story reflects the potential of the Jua Kali sector when innovation meets purpose.
“I came to Nairobi with one objective: to create a life for myself and my family,” he said. “Now I am happy because through me, other people are also earning a living.”
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