Kenya-Italy leather collaboration
The Principal Secretary of the State Department of Livestock Development in Nairobi County, Hon. Jonathan Mueke, convened a joint meeting with a delegation from Italy, led by Fulvia Bacchi, the Managing Director of Italy’s national tanning industry association UNIC.
Also present were Chief Technical Advisor Simone Cipriani, Principal Secretary, State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Susan Auma Mang'eni and Programme Officers Chloé Mukai and Vincent Oduor from the Ethical Fashion Initiative team.
The meeting focused on discussing opportunities within the leather value chain and establishing collaboration frameworks between Kenya and Italy. The aim was to enhance access for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to the Italian and larger European leather markets.
Currently, Kenya exports nearly €5 million worth of leather and leather products to Italy, indicating significant potential for increased trade volumes, revenue generation, and job creation in the economy.
Recognising the leather value chain as a priority within the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, both parties emphasised its capacity to generate employment and improve livelihoods.
An agreement was reached to explore collaboration avenues concerning training, market access, leather infrastructure, market information, and technology.
