Trade, Investment and Industry Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has this morning held a meeting with members of Kenya Association of Manufacturers exporting textiles and apparel to the United States of America (USA) in efforts to address government bureaucracies hampering trade.
The dealers export the lucrative raw product mostly without value addition thus killing the local textile industry.
Majorly, they operate under African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) championed by the US and provides duty-free treatment to goods of designated sub-Saharan African countries (SSAs) AGOA programme which has been widely interpreted as a greater impediment to the implementation and operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“My ministry is working with stakeholders in the textile sector to address bottlenecks affecting the industry with a view of making Kenya competitive and a country of first choice for Investors.” Kuria noted.
Kuria said textile and apparel is one of Kenya’s leading sector in exports and job creation.
Retired president Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime introduced programme of ‘Buy Kenya Build Kenya’ in a bid to resuscitate and promote local textile industry.
Among the key initiatives he effected include commissioning of ultra-modern textile company, Rivatex in Eldoret to increase demand for goods produced by the company and Kitui County Textile Centre (KICOTEC).
KICOTEC has been making uniforms for the Administrative officers following retired president Kenyatta’s directive in 2019 as a significant contributor towards manufacturing, one of the Big Four Agendas focussing on job creation through the ‘Buy Kenya Build Kenya Initiative’.
KICOTEC has so far produced eleven thousand uniforms for the National Government Administrative Officers.
Rivatex was incorporated on June 19, 1975 and was bought by Moi University in the year 2007.
Before going into receivership in 1998 and eventually ceasing operations in the year 2000, the mill used to consume an average of 2,800 tonnes of cotton and 550 tonnes of polyester/viscose resulting in over 15 million metres of fabric per annum.
Before its collapse, it was the leading textile mill in East Africa, with a reputation of producing the best quality fabrics.