President William Ruto on Tuesday, December 10, revealed an ambitious plan to partner with a private investor in a bid to boost the leather industry in the country.
While speaking during the 20th anniversary of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Ruto singled out Alpharama Limited Managing Director Sambasiva Rao as someone who had the potential to transform the leather industry in Kenya.
Ruto further reiterated the need for Kenya to move away from overly relying on exports as far as leather products were concerned, especially with Kenya’s wealth in raw materials.
“We as a country have the third largest herd of livestock in Africa,” President Ruro said. “The irony is that we import all the leather products and we throw away our hides and skins.”
Dr. Pamidimukkala Venkata Sambasiva (P.V.S.) Rao. PHOTO/ Courtesy.
He added: “I have looked for a guy Rao. He happens to have an idea of how we can use leather. I have been on his case because at least he happens to have an idea of what we can do around leather. And we want to support that enterprise.”
Rao is one of the more established entrepreneurs in the leather industry, and in 2020, he was on the Laikipia County government’s radar.
The partnership between the businessman and the Laikipia County government at the time was meant to improve the quality of hides and skins produced locally.
The businessman was also highly admired by former President Uhuru Kenyatta who awarded him with the ‘Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart’ in recognition of his distinguished and outstanding services to the country.
President Ruto also revealed engagements with the pastoralist community on ways to learn about the professional removal of animal skin to avoid wastage.
Dig deeper: Ruto has always been intent on capitalising on Kenya’s tannery industry. In 2023, he announced his government would ban leather imports in the next three years in a bid to establish full reliance on the local skin manufacturing industry.
This is part of Ruto’s broader plan to create at least 100,000 jobs in the leather sector by 2027.
“It is essential to our strategy that we transform the leather value chain from one driven by exports of raw material and semi-processed products to a sophisticated industry manufacturing internationally competitive finished leather and leather products, thus mopping up to 3 million hides and 18 million skins produced each year,” Ruto said earlier this year.
The President also urged Kenyans to adopt made-in-Kenya products while strongly hinting at the possibility of an increase in taxes on imports to compel citizens to pay more attention to locally-made products.
President William Ruto speaking during a townhall meeting on loans and job creation at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Monday, December 9, 2024.
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PCS