The word Juakali originally refers to welders that work on the side of the street, translating as ‘under the hot sun’. The phrase has come to refer to informal artisans in general, thousands of who work in towns and cities across Kenya.
Ochuka developed JuaKaliSmart for artisans in Eldoret, where he lives, and found it challenging to introduce the artisans to the concept of e-commerce.
Today, however, there are hundreds of products listed on the site, and a core group of Juakali have been central in developing the app to better suit their needs. JuaKaliSmart has gone from an online store akin to Amazon, to a mobile app which allows buyers to talk directly to Juakali.