Chicken and fish form new leather plan for Kenya
09/02/2009
As the local leather and footwear sector experiences competition from second hand shoes and cheap low quality imports, the authorities in Kenya have discovered new sources of leather that they believe could bring down the cost of footwear and other leathergoods.
After a series of research exercises examining non-traditional hides and skins, fish and chicken have emerged as the new alternative sources of leather in the African country.
The government-run Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (Kirdi) has started trials for the mass production of shoes, handbags, belts and wallets from fish and chicken leather.
“Fish leather works well for gift items such as wallets and handbags. When we export the items to South Africa they don’t last a day on the shelves,” says Mr Joseph Kimatu, one of the footwear manufacturers working at Kirdi in Nairobi. “Soon, fish leather shoes will be the in-thing in the fashion industry,” he adds.
Share this story:
