| dc.description.abstract | Kenya’s cultural industries, particularly the woodcarving handicraft industry plays a pivotal role
in the spatial growth and economic empowerment of both rural and urban populations. These
cultural industries have huge development impacts in positive and negative ways to the towns
they are accommodated in, and their immediate hinterlands.
The study investigated the impact of cultural industries on urban development, specifically, the
woodcarving handicrafts among the Kamba community in Wamunyu urban centre, Mwala
Constituency, Machakos County. Key objectives that guided the study included: understanding
the structuring and functioning of the woodcarving industry in Wamunyu; investigating the
operation of this woodcarving industry overtime and its impact on urban development of
Wamunyu urban centreand proposing spatial planning interventions that can transform
woodcarving activities into an effective industry in development of Wamunyu urban centre.
The centre was purposively sampled because it is popularly known as the cradle of woodcarving
in Kenya. The study applied participatory methodologies including in-depth desktop reviews,
structured questionnaires and key informant interviews. A total of 160 woodcarvers were
randomly selected from Wamunyu Handicraft Society, as it is currently the oldest woodcarving
association in Kenya, dating back to 1965 and has the largest woodcarvers’ membership in
Kenya. 15 area residents were randomly sampled as a control group to triangulate their findings
with those of the woodcarvers. Other study key respondents included cooperative management
officials and the County Government of Machakos officers of various departments; Physical
Planning Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports; Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperative
Development and Department of Decentralised Urban Units; urban areas and
municipalities. Questionnaires, in-depth interview guides, sketching, observation and
photography were used in collecting data, which revealed certain significant aspects of the study.
The findings indicated that the woodcarving industry was among the pioneer vectors of
development within the urban centre. However, this activity had since declined over the years due
to low investment and poor spatial planning of the woodcarving value chain and poor value chain
management. The study recommended that spatial planning principles of urban design could
revitalise the industry, promote sustainability of the industry and give the area a cultural identity. | en_US |
