A Nairobi firm plans to produce precision thermal-camera components locally, targeting 400 jobs and a market long dominated by Asian suppliers
By Reporter
A Nairobi-based company is advancing plans to establish what would be Kenya’s first precision infrared optical lens manufacturing facility, a venture that, if realised, would place the country among a small number of developing economies producing components for the global thermal-imaging market.
HANDLE Investment, led by chief executive Eng. Erick Kamau Kahura, said yesterday it intends to manufacture high-purity germanium lenses used in thermal cameras — devices deployed in livestock monitoring, electrical infrastructure inspection and industrial maintenance. The company said financial backing for the project was secured from Australian investor Olivier Abrahamson Lokolomba early this year, providing capital for initial development.
L-R: Olivier Abrahamson Lokolomba Chairman and Erick Kamau Kahura CEO Handle Investment Trust
The facility, planned for Nairobi, would target 400 permanent jobs at full production capacity, with roles spanning precision engineering, quality control, manufacturing operations and logistics. Kenya’s manufacturing sector contributes roughly eight per cent of gross domestic product, a share the government has long sought to grow through industrialisation incentives.
The infrared optics market is currently dominated by manufacturers in China, the United States and Israel, with African countries almost entirely reliant on imports for thermal-camera components. HANDLE Investment said the Nairobi plant would initially serve the Kenyan market before expanding to East African customers and, eventually, international buyers.
L-R: Olivier Abrahamson Lokolomba Chairman and Erick Kamau Kahura CEO Handle Investment Trust
The project’s ambitions are substantial for a continent where precision manufacturing at this level of technical specialisation is rare. Germanium — the primary raw material for long-wave infrared lenses — requires controlled processing and exacting production tolerances, conditions that demand significant capital investment and technical expertise. Whether HANDLE Investment can meet those requirements at commercial scale remains to be demonstrated.
Kahura has not disclosed the project’s total capitalisation, the production timeline or the facility’s planned location within Nairobi. The company said the financial agreement with Lokolomba was structured at the start of 2026, but gave no further details of the terms or the investor’s prior involvement in African manufacturing.
Kenya’s government has identified advanced manufacturing as a priority under its Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, and officials have encouraged foreign direct investment into industrial sectors. Independent verification of HANDLE Investment’s financial position and technical capacity was not immediately available.
If the plant reaches full production, it would represent a meaningful addition to Kenya’s industrial base. The thermal-imaging components market is growing globally, driven by demand from agriculture, energy and security sectors — all areas where East Africa has documented needs.
