MPs Moses Kuria (Gatundu South) and Patrick Wainaina (Thika Town) have welcomed the government’s decision to award uniform tenders to local cloth manufacturing firms.
Speaking separately, the two legislators said the move will not only create and sustain jobs but also boost the manufacturing sector which is part of the Big Four agenda
Some of the beneficiaries of the uniform tenders include the Thika Cloth Mills Ltd (TCM), Rivatex, Alpha Knit in Ruiru, Bedi Investments of Nakuru and Sunflag in Nairobi. They will be supplying uniforms to the army, police, prisons and the National Youth Service.
Kuria challenged county governments to start awarding tenders to local companies to boost employment. He said uniforms for chiefs should be locally sourced.
He spoke in Gatundu when he presided over a funds drive for the Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Church.
The MP praised Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu for commissioning a uniform making a plant to supply clothes to county staff. He said other governors should follow suit.
“There’s no need of importing uniforms and other clothing materials when we have local industries that produce them. We should be using the money spent on the imports to empower our local industries to grow our economy,” Kuria said.
Wainaina said the government move was encouraging. The MP is sponsoring a motion to restrict importation of items that are produced locally.
Wainaina said his motion which has gone through the first reading will be a milestone for the manufacturing sector if it is passed into law. He appealed to lawmakers to back the motion.
Earlier, Kuria said MPs would support Wainaina’s motion.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)
