In February 1995, the United Kingdom and Kenya Governments agreed to jointly support a three year project, later extended to five years, aimed at promoting the more efficient use of plantation grown timber for construction purposes. One of the projects components was Trussed Rafter Development Unit (TRDU). TRDU, a joint initiative by the MORPW and the Forest Department, demonstrated that 50% of the timber used in a traditionally designed roof structure could be saved by using trussed rafters, utilizing strength graded timber and the more efficient grade stresses available for cypress timber.

TRDU was later transferred to National Housing Corporation (NHC) in March 2002 and thereafter registered as a limited company under the new name "Research Development Unit Company Limited (RDU Co. Ltd)", a subsidiary of NHC. The mission of RDU Co. Ltd is summaried as "raising roofing standards in Kenya" , and so doing, assists in the conservation of the indigenous Kenya forests.

Click here to download the RDU Co. Ltd Company Profile