Cheap imports harming Kenyan shoe manufacturers
02/03/2017
Mr Mwaura added that 80% of the shoes in Kenya’s domestic market are imported from China and India, which means that small and medium-sized footwear manufacturers are being denied revenue. They are also hindered by a lack of skills, low expertise in producing finished leather and leathergoods, and the high cost of running a business in Kenya.
“We want standards to be put in place to protect the local market from cheap imports,” Mr Mwaura said in Naorobi on February 27 during the launch of the KFMA’s five-year strategic plan.
The plan proposed a series of interventions to support the development of Kenya’s leather and footwear manufacturers. They included the launch of a leather cluster in the Machakos region, where space would be set aside for small companies. Work on this leather industrial park is already underway with the first tannery expected to be operational within two years, according to Adan Mohamed, cabinet secretary for industry, trade and cooperatives.
The KFMA also wants the government to offer credit, training and networking assistance to 50 small and medium-sized businesses each year, as well as strengthening the links between large and small companies. A further proposal calls for greater investment in training programmes to give young Kenyans the tools to build a career in the leather industry.
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