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Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced that Kenya’s leather industry is set to create 100,000 jobs by 2027.
While inspecting the ongoing development at the Kenya Leather Industrial Park (KLIP) in Kenanie, Machakos County, Kindiki revealed that the sector currently provides 17,000 jobs. He emphasized that the government’s transformation plan aims to increase the industry’s contribution to the economy, boosting it from Sh15 billion to Sh120 billion by 2027.
Kindiki explained, “We intend to transform the leather industry within the livestock sector with two key goals: first, to increase its contribution to the economy to Sh120 billion by 2027, and second, to generate 100,000 jobs, up from the current 17,000.”
He pointed out that for years, Kenya has focused on red meat and carcasses, which have lower value compared to hides and skins, stressing the government’s new initiative to add value to these materials.
“For too long, we’ve neglected the potential of hides and skins, even though they are far more valuable than the meat itself,” he added, highlighting the significance of the KLIP project in boosting this value addition.
The Deputy President also underscored that Kenya’s economic transformation relies heavily on increasing the value added to raw materials and expanding manufacturing across key sectors.
During his visit, Kindiki reviewed the progress of KLIP to ensure its completion by March 31, 2025, as directed by the president. Two factories for processing hides into leather and two others for manufacturing finished leather products are already complete. Work on infrastructure such as electricity, water, and permanent policing services is also underway to meet the deadline.
Kindiki was accompanied by Acting Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Aden Duale, Principal Secretary for Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke, and other senior government officials.
