President William Ruto has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating 100,000 jobs in the leather sector by 2027.
Leading the country in commemorating the 61st Madaraka Day celebrations in Bungoma on Saturday, Ruto outlined the government’s strategy to increase annual income from the sector from Sh15 billion to Sh120 billion and boost job creation.
Ruto announced that his administration aims to raise annual footwear production from 8 million pairs to 36 million pairs, worth Sh72 billion, within the next three years.
“It is essential to our strategy that we transform the leather value chain from one driven by exports of raw material and semi-processed products to a sophisticated industry manufacturing internationally competitive finished leather and leather products, thus mopping up to 3 million hides and 18 million skins produced each year,” he said.
To actualize the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), Ruto emphasized the government’s focus on commercializing and reforming the livestock sector to improve performance.
The President also highlighted the government’s investment in developing the leather sub-sector to support competitive export industries, benefiting both enterprises and households.
“We are developing local capacity to handle hides and skins to provide quality raw material, tanning, as well as local manufacturing of finished leather goods such as shoes, bags, and belts,” he said.
Leather processor
Ruto announced a Sh400 million allocation to upgrade the Ewaso Ng’iro South Development Authority’s leather factory.
Of this, Sh200 million support the acquisition of modern equipment, Sh100 million to build a footwear factory, and Sh100 million to purchase hides and skins.
He said the government had already procured and installed machinery to increase processing capacity at the factory.
Ruto announced the training of 703 flayers with subsidized flaying equipment provided to 680 slaughter points to ensure the supply of quality hides and skins.
Additionally, Ruto revealed that the construction of the Kenya Leather Industrial Park at Kenanie, Machakos County, is 85 per cent complete.
“This park will have a common effluent treatment plant, two tanneries, two leather manufacturing plants, and 100 acres for investors to set up leather factories by the end of the year,” Ruto said.
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