The Kenyan government is to implement measures to curb the dumping of cheap leather products.

According to local reports, the country’s Bureau of Standards has been given firm instructions to ensure that the cheap imports are not mislabelled or underpriced as they enter the country, Mr Isaac Ruto, the Vocational Training minister, said last week.

"Kenya is no longer a supermarket for exploitation by other countries," the minister said.

He also urged local manufacturers to compete internationally without expecting government protection, stating: "Efficiency is the guarantee to our survival in international trade."

Mr Ruto further appealed to councils to support hawkers whom he described as a "vital part of the informal sector". The minister noted that the informal sector provides employment for around 4.2 million people or 70% of total jobs and generates 18.4% of the Gross Domestic Product.