Key government interventions

Kenya Leather Development Council: This is the sector’s main support agency in the Government for public and private with the goal of transforming the leather value chain into a vibrant value-adding and export-oriented one.

Draft Kenya Leather Development Policy: The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Kenya Leather Development Council (KLDC) and Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) developed a draft Kenya Leather Development Policy. Its main objective is to guide and drive the growth and development of the leather sector in order to realise its full potential and contribute significantly to the economic growth. Once adopted, the Policy will provide a structured framework for the coordinated execution of the roles and responsibilities of all the actors across the value-chain and throughout Kenya. To finalize the process, the Government organised a Stakeholders Validation Convention to be held at the Kenya Institute for Curriculum Development (KICD) on 2nd December 2021.

Construction of KSh17 billion Leather City (Industrial Park):  Work resumed on construction of the park in April 2021. It is projected to create 50,000 direct jobs for Kenyans. Once in operation, the total value of finished leather products for export are also expected to increase 12 times. The park will improve the country’s global competitiveness in leather production and drive the economy in line with the 5-10 year industrial plan for the country’s manufacturing sector to accelerate critical industries that support the country’s development. Located in Kenanie, Athi River in Machakos County, the park will have 15 tanneries initially, a training centre, common manufacturing facilities and a common Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP). These will translate to a production capacity of about 10 tonnes of hides and skins, with an output of 10,000 pairs of shoes, handbags, leather garments and industrial gloves per day.

Partnership between Kenya Leather Development Council (KLDC), Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority (ENSDA), Kenya Investment Authority and the Export Processing Zones Authority: The focus of the partnership is on capacity building framework for quality hides & skins that will encompass arid & semi-arid (Asal) areas. This follows the construction of a KSh1.4 billion Mega Tannery and Leather Factory at Ewaso Ngiro area in Narok South. The tannery will create 300 jobs directly and 10,000 indirectly and help create wealth for the local communities after the completion of the Tannery processing plant in Narok becomes fully operational. It will be able to process over two million tons of hides and skins yearly when fully operational. The factory is now training hides and skin producers at various abattoirs in the region on best practices on how to handle this raw material in order to produce the best quality.

Investment opportunities

• Modernised Slaughterhouses
• Production of finished leather
• Production of footwear
• Kariokor Market in Nairobi
• Ngozi Kenya Leather Park in Kenanie, Athi River