Nairobi, July 13 -- When you live and work in an urban hub like Nairobi, perhaps as an executive, it is easy to lose sight of how industrial development can be constrained by a lack of infrastructure.

One encounters industrial parks on Mombasa Road, new bypasses and skyscrapping residential developments when driving through Nairobi. This visual abundance can make one forget that a massive portion of the transformation that drives nations happens far from capital cities.

Take Pwani Oil, for example. Millions of Kenyans wake up daily and use our products, all of which have become household essentials.

Yet, I doubt the average consumer realises that these goods are made in Kikambala, Kilifi County, more than 500 kilometres from the capita...