Kenyan leather sector to add value
Kenya is looking to increase earnings within the leather sector by adding value to its leather and leathergoods exports. Kenya’s industry ministry has raised the annual export target from the current Sh6billion ($71.2 million) to Sh9-10 for 2013.
Assistant industrialisation minister Nderitu Muriithi said the government would roll out a number of incentives and that a pilot tanning process had already been introduced to scale up leather production in the country.
A new Kenya Leather Council has also been set up to promote the sector, encouraging leather and leathergoods manufacturers to produce high-quality hides, skins and finished goods rather than exporting poor quality raw hides.
"We are employing 17,000 people already and we expect this to grow," he said. "As we promote domestic production of finished products, we expect this to grow to over 100,000."
