Profile
Kitengela Hot Glass started September 2000 with a desire to make flat and blown glass in Eastern Africa. It employs over thirty people, and has trained many more in the various disciplines that they are proficient in.

Kitengela Glass is located opposite the Nairobi National Park, at the end of a rough road. Despite this, the constant stream of visitors from all over the world never stops. The magical ambience of the place is peppered with sculptures, animals and secret mosaic pathways which lead to niches of busy artisans all transforming recycled glass and scraps of other materials into beautiful artworks, jewellery and home ware.

They try to help their locals as much as possible, over fifty people have been trained and work in the various disciplines, a local orphanage is being supported.

It has since grown into a well recognized artisan company, with integrated studios making all aspects and types of traditional and modern blown glass. Kitengela Hot Glass uses the antique and venerated art of glassblowing to create their wares. With a long blowing pipe, the glassblower gathers a gob of molten 1100 degrees centigrade recycled window or bottle glass from the 400kg in the furnace. Using a piece of moistened newspaper, wooden and metal tools, the glass blower shapes, cuts and twists the molten mass into the shape he desires. Their mission to make beauty from trash, and do it in an eco friendly way. While vision is to make recycled glass an African craft, and leave a negative carbon footprint. They offer support to women and try to rehabilitate the street kids.

To be the parent company of a great future craft coming from Africa is what Kitengela aims to be, and to teach blowing, and spread the studio glass movement across the continent.