NAIROBI, Kenya — On a sunny afternoon about 70 kilometers south of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, workers at KEDA Kenya Ceramics Company Limited were busy packing floor tiles in multicolored cartons for shipping.

KEDA Industrial Group, a China-based company engaged in the manufacture and sales of building material machinery, established the KEDA ceramics factory in Kenya's southern county of Kajiado, in a joint venture with Guangzhou Sunda in 2016.

Li Ruiqin, managing director of KEDA Kenya Ceramics Company, said its investment in the production of high-quality floor tiles has served as a model for revitalizing the local manufacturing sector to spur economic growth and job creation.

Li said establishing a ceramic tile factory in rural outposts has benefited the local economy, noting that hotel and transportation businesses have boomed since the factory's establishment.

"As our footprint in the Kenyan market expands, KEDA has adhered to local policies and regulations besides investing in community empowerment projects, including schools, roads and water supply," Li said during an interview at the KEDA ceramics factory.

Li disclosed that KEDA has set up two ceramic tile factories, one in Kajiado County and another in Kisumu County, and an additional sanitary ware factory, covering an area of about 1.2 million square meters.

Future plans

The two ceramic tile factories have a daily production capacity of 110,000 square meters of floor tiles, while the sanitary ware factory produces 4,500 pieces of sanitary wares a day.

Li announced the company has plans for three to five production lines in the coming years, thus acquiring another 38.4 hectares of land. There is also a plan to build a solar-powered plant in Kajiado.

By leveraging Chinese technology and standards, KEDA has always adhered to sound ecological stewardship, recycling 400 cubic meters of water daily, according to the company's briefing materials.

Richard Okello, a 35-year-old supervisor at the KEDA ceramics factory, said leveraging Chinese technology to produce outstanding floor tiles has boosted Kenya's affordable housing agenda, re-skilling local youth and creating jobs.