Murtaza Taher

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I am Murtaza Taher, Founder and Director of Al-Hatim Décor Ltd, a Nairobi-based interior design and turnkey fit-out company in Kenya specialising in commercial interiors, retail fit-outs, office spaces, hospitality projects, custom joinery and complete project delivery.

My journey into the interior design and construction industry was not conventional. I began with a professional background in Information Technology, but my path changed when I joined my late father, Taher Dodh, in the business he had started in the early 2000s. What began as a small residential painting operation gradually evolved into something much more ambitious. 

We saw a gap in the Kenyan market for a company that could do more than simply design a beautiful space. Clients needed a partner capable of taking an idea from concept and visualisation through construction, fit-out and final handover.

That idea became the foundation of Al-Hatim Décor.

Over the years, I immersed myself in interior design, construction, materials, project coordination and fit-out execution. My technology background taught me to approach complex projects systematically: understand the problem, break it down, find the right solution and keep improving the process.

Today, Al-Hatim Décor delivers turnkey interior fit-out solutions in Nairobi and across Kenya, serving retail, commercial, corporate, residential and other specialised interior environments. My role includes overseeing project quality, developing relationships with clients and suppliers, researching new technologies and materials, and ensuring that what we promise is ultimately delivered on site. 

For me, interior design is not simply about creating something attractive.

It is about turning an idea into something that can actually be designed, engineered, manufactured and built.

One of the important milestones in our growth has been the opportunity to work on projects associated with leading international brands including Adidas, Nike, Puma and LC Waikiki. 

Retail fit-out projects demand precision. Brand guidelines, lighting, electrical systems, ceilings, flooring, joinery, furniture, signage, specialist finishes and construction programmes all have to come together within demanding timelines.

That experience has helped shape Al-Hatim Décor into a retail fit-out contractor in Kenya capable of handling complex projects where design quality and execution discipline are equally important.

One principle has remained at the centre of my approach:

A good contractor must first understand what the client is imagining.

Clients do not always communicate their ideas through technical terminology. Sometimes they describe a feeling, show an inspiration image or simply explain what they want people to experience when they enter the space.

Our responsibility is to listen carefully, understand their tastes and objectives, translate those ideas into a design and then turn that design into reality.

As I explained in my CIO Views cover story, sometimes clients struggle to put their imagination into words. Our job is not only to understand it, but to visualise it, render it and build it. 

Building Al-Hatim has also taught me that a strong company cannot depend on one individual.

I believe in developing teams through training, responsibility, communication and continuous improvement. My leadership philosophy is built around integrity, accountability, empathy, courage, respect, humility and continuous learning. 

Technology continues to play an important role in the way I think about the future. I am particularly interested in how artificial intelligence, digital design, manufacturing technology, automation and new construction systems will transform the interior design and fit-out industry.

The next chapter is about scale.

Our ambition is to continue strengthening Al-Hatim Décor as a trusted interior design, turnkey fit-out and project management company in East Africa, while supporting clients and international brands seeking capable project partners across the African continent.

I want Al-Hatim to be known for the projects that demand more thinking: challenging timelines, unusual designs, complex coordination and spaces where the client needs a contractor who can take responsibility from idea to completion.

After all these years, the principle remains remarkably simple:

Understand the vision. Find the solution. Build it well.