Trade CS Miano says Buy Kenya-Build Kenya aims to promote local products

Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has said the main objective of Buy Kenya Build Kenya is to promote locally produced goods and services.

Miano said this will not only increase its consumption but will also create employment and reduce reliance on imports.

She said her ministry has fast-tracked activities to ensure the initiative’s success with these activities anchored on the already identified areas of Legal and regulatory framework to guide public procurement.

The CS said her ministry has also created an enabling business environment, market access for locally produced goods and services, advocacy and creation of an institutional framework that ensures sustainability.

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“Towards this end, the disciplined forces have been procuring assorted leather and textile products from local manufacturers. For instance, in the period from January – June 2023, they procured leather and textile products worth approximately Sh1.1 billion,” said Miano.

Miano said the ministry through the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) has put in place a robust quality and regulatory framework that is ensuring that locally produced goods are up to the set standards.

 According to her, the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI) is implementing and enforcing the Industrial Property Act and the Trade Marks Act for purposes of promoting and protecting local innovations which is further enhancing the production of locally made goods.

She said that the Ministry through the Kenya Industrial Research Development is providing common manufacturing facilities (CMF) to MSMIs for value addition of locally made products with the CMF enabling MSMIs to produce products that are competitive in the local market.

“The Ministry in collaboration with various stakeholders is implementing various value addition capacity building programmes to enhance the skills local industrial entrepreneurs, the Ministry is continuously creating awareness on the BK-BK initiative through media campaigns and engagement like conferences and trade fairs,” said Miano. 

The CS further told the committee that the leather sector is a priority value chain under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) with a potential of Sh130 billion in revenue and 100,000 jobs.

Miano said that some of the key challenges plaguing the sector include low hides/skin recovery, low quality of hides & skins, and inadequate skills with the government adopting the value-chain approach for the revitalization of the leather sector which is intended to unlock opportunities by creating jobs and generating income.

The Cabinet Secretary said the strategies currently implemented with support from the private sector and development partners underscore the crucial role of the sector in economic development particularly in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs).

Miano said the Ministry is supporting the revitalization of the sector through promoting value-addition initiatives in the leather value chain, with the Ministry with the support of the International Labour Organisation has developed the Leather Sector Revitalization Concept Note.

“The Concept Note outlines a comprehensive work plan and activities whose implementation is under discussion, this includes the establishment of Regional Common Manufacturing Facilities (CMFs) similar to Kariokor CMF to improve the productivity and competitiveness of MSMIs in the leather and leather products value chain. The Ministry is working with ILO to help map out potential leather clusters,” said Miano,

She said the Ministry in collaboration with the Kenya Bureau of Standards has revised some of Kenya’s Leather Testing Standards and adopted the Applicable International Standards with these Standards aimed at addressing current market, regulatory, and scientific and technological development needs.

The Cabinet Secretary said the Ministry through Numerical Machining Complex (NMC) has developed a prototype knife and de-hider to address the high cost of flaying knives and de-hiders which are currently being imported.

Miano said that in the Financial year 2023/2024 the ministry through the EPZA was allocated Sh350 million for the development of Leather Industrial Park – Kenanie and Sh50 million for the Leather Value Chain Promotion Programme for the training of leather value chain stakeholders.

“The proposed establishment of 450 feedlot facilities in ASAL counties will further enhance the recovery and quality of Hides and Skins. A multi-sectoral technical feedlot committee coordinated by the Head of Public Service (HOPS) has tasked the State Department for Industry with the role of identifying value-addition initiatives,” said Miano.

The Cabinet Secretary said that the Ministry in Collaboration with Counties and Development Partners is establishing County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) across the Country with the Parks providing value addition and storage centres for agricultural products.

These facilities will include agro-processing units, value-addition units and warehouses.  The Ministry will collaborate with county governments, KIRDI, TVETs and other key stakeholders to enhance the processing of cash and food crops like tea, coffee, sugarcane, nuts, cereals vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat, honey and fish.