The Kiambu county government is looking for land in Thika to set up a tannery and leather manufacturing plant, Deputy Governor James Nyoro has said.
Nyoro on Friday said the county was keen on reviving the leather industry. He said Kiambu was known for high-quality hides and skins.
He said the industry has been neglected because of poor prices.
“Our priority is to revive the leather industry and we are sourcing for a 50-acre land in Thika where we will invest in tanneries and leather manufacturing plants to produce shoes, handbags, car seat cushions, jackets, leather garments, and even industrial gloves,” Nyoro said.
He was speaking to reporters at Thika Technical Training Institute after the closing ceremony of the Central Region SME Conference & Expo 2019.
Nyoro said the Dagoretti Market in Thika was very famous for hides and skins.
"After securing the land, we will budget for the entire project so that we can seek funds from the county government and development partners."
The deputy county chief said reviving the leather industry will turn around Thika’s economy and raise Kiambu's revenue.
“It will also go a long way in creating more jobs for our youths. There will be those employed at the factories and those contracted to supply hides and skins. It will be an avenue of wealth creation for our people which is in line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four agenda,” Nyoro said.
He said the county was also keen on creating a conducive business environment for the small scale traders.
“We will invest in modern kiosks and identify areas where we shall install them. Before that, we need to come up with solutions that are favourable to both hawkers and the traders."
Nyoro said plans were underway to set up a multi-million Muguga Agri-Park in Kikuyu subcounty.
“We are about to sign an MoU with Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation to support the investment on aspects of quality feed with regard to ingredients, sources of materials and use of new technologies,” he said.
The Uplands Bacon Factory in Lari will also be revived to ensure pork business is operationalised to boost the economy.
Nyoro said Kiambu has huge business potential and is among eight counties selected by the American Government under the Kenya Investment Mechanism (KIM) programme, which seeks to strengthen direct trade and investments between the United States and select counties.
“The programme focuses on what counties value most, it's sustainability to facilitate a decent life for its residents and an increase in financial self-sufficiency. This will promote direct trade for our agricultural products including tea, coffee, avocado, pork, macadamia nuts, and poultry with emphasis on value addition," he said.
The Americans chose to support the coffee sector in Kiambu, he said.
Edited by Peter Obuya
