Sh17 billion Athi River Park To Produce 10 Million Shoes Per Year

The Kinanie leather park in Athi River, which is expected to put Kenya on the global leather map, will produce up to 10 million shoes for export each year.

After funding delays, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said the Sh17 billion project is back on track and is now 95 percent complete.

Kenya Leather Park (KLP) will be the region’s largest employer.

The project, on the other hand, is expected to generate over 50,000 direct jobs for Kenyans in the first phase and is expected to be a major economic boost, attracting investors who will create jobs.

The leather park covers 500 acres and includes 14 tanneries as well as an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP).

The Kenya Leather Development Council (KLDC) and the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) are the implementing agencies for the national government-funded project, which is overseen by the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Cooperatives.

The structures have been completed, according to CS Munya, and the machines have been installed.

“The government is concentrating on increasing the value of hides and skins.

The leather park has a production capacity of 10 million shoes and other leather accessories per year, with a global market in mind “Mr. Munya explained that the project’s two-month delay was due to a lack of funds following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr. Munya claims that the park will benefit livestock farmers by providing a competitive market for hides and skins that would otherwise go to waste.

The leather park can handle up to 150 tonnes of raw hides per day.

He stated that now that the stores have been completed, the government is looking for investors to fill the vacant space.

Investors in the park will be eligible for incentives not available to investors in other parks within EPZ.