Interview with Joseph Nyongesa | Secretary General/CEO, Institute of Packaging Professionals Kenya

Carry out Packaging development support, consultancy, Designs, Cost assessments, sourcing advises, Training, Legal,Safety and environmental concerns to Industry in Kenya in General and in particular SMEs.Advise and train on export Packaging requirements.

Assist to built Packaging Capacity in the country and institutions.

Lobby for Government to support the Packaging Agenda in the country.

Provide Packaging information to Supply Chain actors on various topics.

Assist to organize Packaging exhibitions to expose the country to packaging technologies.

Creating awareness on the critical challenges of value addition that packaging brings on the table in addressing numerous problems facing Africa.Food wastages in Africa is estimated to be 40 %.Most products in Africa are sold as commodities and not finished products.

Getting Governmen and other supply chain actors to support packaging in Kenya and Africa financially.

Getting the Packaging Supply Chain to support the the programmes financially and yet they are the final beneficiaries of these programmes.

• I would like to create Packaging Resource centers to bring Packaging Know how to the country and continent.
• I would like to develop Packaging skills at all levels of educational system and industry.
• I would like to package all the products or most of the products coming out of Africa.
• I would like Packaging Industry to realize that more adoption of Packaging means their industries would prosper more.

1. I see an empowered Organization with adequate capacity to serve the country and region.
2. I see all the Supply Chain actors being members.
3. I see carrying out packaging training certificates,Diplomas and degrees.
4. I see Government and donor supports to the message of packaging.
5. I see the organization being the reference centre of packaging in the country and region.
6. I see the organization supporting food losses reduction from current 40 % to 20 %
7. I see the organization assisting the country to export packaged and value added finished products instead of raw materials.
8. I see the organization taking up its rightful position in the global packaging affairs

1. Strengthen Secretariat and management.
2. Get Government t support.
3. Get Supply Chain Actors to support IOPPK.
4. Increase global collaborations.
5. Address hostilities to plastics perceived as an environmental hazard.
6. Draw global audience to the packaging opportunities in Kenya and Africa

1. The brief from the client needs to be very clear and in writing.
2. Go through a systematic approach
3. Do not underestimate time,costs and riskies.
4. Involve the client at every stage-High level of communication.
5. There is no assumption of anything.

Packaging Industries have evolved over the years to meet the needs of the country in Glass,Paper,Plastics and metal.They are robust and working.They bring in some of the emerging technologies from around the world.There is some considerable investments in the Industry.

• The key challenges that customers face
• Lack of packaging know how
• Packaging failures in the supply chain
• Quality assurance issues
• High costs
• Attack on plastic packaging by the public,Government and lobbyists
• Poor designs-Not attractive enough
• SMEs cannot meet minimum order demands by suppliers .
• Lead times long
• Capital investments-Machinery,moulds and cylinders very expensive

• General move from metal packaging for foods to plastic tubs
• General move from Paper based cartons to laminates
• Increased branding and bottling of mineral water in PET
• General movement to smaller sizes i.e 25gms
• Increased branding and packaging of basic foodstuffs-milk,sugar,rice,flours

An empowered Industry able to meet the needs of the country and continent-Able to provide cost effective,quality,safe and globally competitive sustainable packaging.

Liase closely with Africa-that is where the future is.Advise your connections to pay attention to Africa.Advise Global Packaging Actors to pay attention to Africa.

Watch the Packaging space in Africa.It is the last continent to packaged.It is where the packaging actors will win or lose.