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About Identity

Built from
the ground up

An NTSA-approved vehicle body builder on Nairobi's Mombasa Road industrial corridor, serving operators across East Africa.

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Our story

Started in a crisis. Built to last.

Before founding Identity, Mohamed Ali learned business the hard way. He supplied fresh juice to eateries in Nyanza, started a clothing venture while studying for a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance at the University of Nairobi, tried real estate and ran a restaurant in Eastleigh. Then he moved into the commercial vehicle trade.

Identity Auto Fabricators was founded during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many manufacturers were scaling back. The business started with nine employees and worked through operating losses, delayed material deliveries and slow demand. It grew by being careful with every decision, from sourcing raw materials to managing overheads. On 1 April 2023 the team delivered its first matatu builds to Super Metro Sacco.

Today the company builds complete bodies on new chassis from automotive dealers, for commercial transport operators, schools, Saccos, construction firms, agricultural co-operatives and corporate logistics fleets.

The start9employees, founded during the Covid-19 pandemic
Today200+permanent and contract staff: welders, fabricators, mechanical engineers, spray painters, electrical technicians and admin
Across the region4countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan
Next1,000+units a year targeted, and a larger Mombasa Road plant planned for 3,000 units a year, including heavy trailers

How we build

From blueprint to handover

Unlike imported, fully built units made to standardised global specifications, our locally fabricated bodies can be customised for regional fleets: adjusted seating, higher payloads, specialised storage and reinforced undercarriages for rough rural roads.

  1. 01AssessWe start with how the vehicle will work: routes, loads, passengers and your chassis.
  2. 02EngineerYour operating needs become engineering blueprints and a fixed specification.
  3. 03Cut & framePrecision metal cutting and structural framing on modular jigs.
  4. 04Panel & finishPanel assembly, surface finishing, rust-proofing, paint and livery.
  5. 05Fit outElectrical wiring, seating, lighting and interior fittings.
  6. 06Inspect & hand overMulti-stage structural, electrical and roadworthiness checks, then handover with a 2-year warranty.
Our people at workWelding, framing and fit-out at the plant

Ownership

Paying for your build

We don't offer in-house credit. Clients buy with cash or through asset-backed financing from commercial banks, SACCOs and government institutions such as the CDF, subject to the required documents. Financing covers up to 95% over 60–72 months, with a 90-day moratorium.

Every completed body comes with a standard two-year warranty.

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In the press

Daily Nation · DN2 Powering SME · 1 September 2026

“The making of a vehicle body fabrication business”

Nation reporter Margaret Maina visited our Mombasa Road plant. The story covers how the company started during the Covid-19 pandemic with nine employees and grew to more than 200 staff building buses, matatus, trucks, tippers and tankers for East Africa.

“Our immediate operational goal is to scale output beyond 1,000 units in the coming year. Over the long term, we are positioning the new facility for an annual capacity of 3,000 units.”

Mohamed Ali, founder & CEO, Identity Auto Fabricators

Photo credits

Most photos and all films on this site are Identity Auto Fabricators' own. Manufacturer photos of UD Trucks are from udtrucks.com. The following are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown; some are resized.

School bus built for Carmel Pre & Primary School, Arusha

See it being built

Visit the workshop

City Cabanas, Mombasa Road, Nairobi. Walk the floor, see bodies in progress and meet the team who'll build yours.

Book a site visit