Juma Mukhwana, the principal secretary of the state department for industrialization, recently claimed that preparations are in motion to resurrect failed businesses like Ken Knit Raymond and Farmers Choice. He claimed that Kenya is keen to increase its manufacturing capacity and create more jobs. He was touring Rivatex East Africa Limited in Eldoret town, a textile business.
“Rivatex previously fell apart, and it has undergone a substantial renovation. I wish to commend the factory’s management for reviving it; as a result, more than 1,000 people are currently employed there. I have no doubt that the new Rivatex will support the efforts being made by this administration to provide more jobs for young people in the future.
“Over the past five years, the government has invested up to Ksh 7 billion in the factory, and it has announced plans to expand the textile manufacturing industry with the aim of increasing revenue by ten times that of the previous year, which was Ksh 50 billion, while increasing employment from 50,000 to 500,000 over the next five years,” he said.
According to him, investments in the textile industry are consistent with the government’s “Buy Kenya, Build Kenya” policy.
He was quoted by Kenyan media as saying that the nation has yet to fully take advantage of the export advantages provided by the US African Growth Opportunity Act.
According to Mukhwana, the government is pushing farmers to grow cotton on a huge scale because there is a ready market.
Since up to 80% of our cotton supply is imported, the official explained, “when the factories stopped operating, farmers stopped planting. As a government, we have allocated 50 million for cotton purchases, and this year we have set aside 200 million for the same. As a result, we will have cotton buying centres for farmers to sell at.
Rivatex has partnerships with the following counties: Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Baringo, and Kitui.
