When MK Alpha Painters opened the doors of its Masterclass 2026 this weekend along the Eastern Bypass in Kamakis, the expectation was a solid turnout. What arrived was a statement. Over one hundred painters — from across Nairobi and its surrounding areas — packed into the premises of the Kiambu-based paint supplier for what many of them would later describe as one of the most valuable mornings of their working lives.
Among the faces in the crowd was Mary Wanjiru, a professional painter based along Thika Road, who has been in the trade long enough to know what good training is worth. For her, today confirmed everything she had suspected.
“If you invest in good knowledge, it will earn you one hundred percent back,” she said. “The new products are changing the industry. If you don’t keep up, you get left behind.”
It is the kind of honest, earned wisdom that no marketing campaign could manufacture. Wanjiru did not arrive today as a sceptic. She arrived as someone who understands that her trade is evolving — and that the painters who thrive will be the ones who evolve with it.
Across the room, Stephen Otieno was equally clear-eyed about what the morning had given him. A painter who takes pride in the relationships he builds with his clients, Otieno said the training he received today would directly change the standard of service he is able to offer.
“My clients trust me with their spaces,” he said. “What I have learned today means I can honour that trust better than I did yesterday.”
That combination — new technical knowledge and a renewed sense of professional purpose — was visible across the room throughout the day. These were not painters going through the motions. They were tradespeople who had shown up to invest in themselves, and the energy inside MK Alpha’s Kamakis premises reflected exactly that.
The Masterclass, founded by MK Alpha Painters Director Catherine Wanjiku,covers six core areas: product knowledge, surface preparation, finishing techniques, colour consistency, professional conduct, and business growth basics. All training takes place on real, active sites — a deliberate choice that ensures every lesson lands in the context where it actually matters.
Today’s entire cohort attended free of charge, made possible by the full sponsorship of Hermosa Paints. For a brand whose reputation sits on the quality of its application, the investment was a considered one.
“A well-trained painter makes our product look like what it truly is,” the Hermosa Paints Sang said at the launch. “We chose to be part of the solution.”
Director Catherine, speaking to the assembled painters this weekend , was direct about what today represented — not just for MK Alpha, but for an industry that has for too long been asked to do more with less.
“Every building you see going up around this bypass, every affordable housing unit being handed over to a family — a painter finished that,” she said. “It was time we gave them something back. Something real.”
The Masterclass is built to scale. From next quarter, one hundred painters will go through the programme every three months, with different industry brands sponsoring each intake. By December 2026, MK Alpha’s target is one thousand trained painters across Kenya.
It started today. In Kamakis. With over one hundred painters who chose to show up — and left knowing a little more about their trade, their products, and their own professional worth.
Painters wishing to join future cohorts and brands interested in sponsoring upcoming intakes can contact MK Alpha Painters along the Eastern Bypass, Kamakis.
