Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Investments, Trade and Industry Moses Kuria has revealed government plans to ban the importation of shoes by 2024.
In a statement, Kuria said that the country should be able to produce enough shoes for itself through the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks(CAIPS) programme.
"In our continued efforts to minimize imports as instructed by His Excellency the President William Ruto, by next year we will ban importation of shoes and instead produce enough for the market in our County Aggregation and Industrial parks(CAIPS)," he said.
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Kuria announced the move during the launch of the Laikipia County Aggregation and Industrial Park.
Kuria estimates that Laikipia County should be able to generate more than Ksh6 billion annually from the sale of products derived from animal skins and hides.
"We had a candid discussion with the people on the ground on how we will ensure they have money in their pockets to be able to cope with hard economic times," he said.
"Value addition for the produce in the county from Soya beans, to Livestock products, to maize and avocado among others will be of great importance to the Laikipia population."
The Ksh500 million project, which is a joint venture between the county and national government, will sit on 300 acres.
According to Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu, the park will serve as a hub for agricultural processing and manufacturing, providing a vital link between farmers, industries, and the market.
“The park will promote the production of high-quality agricultural products, we have seven value chains that will be key to operations such as beef, maize, tomatoes, soya, avocados, animal feeds and dairy,” Irungu said.
He added that the park will address post-harvest losses that have bedevilled farmers for a long time in the county, especially those who rely on maize and tomato farming.
