The Kenya Leather Industrial Park in Kinanie, Machakos County is poised to revolutionize Kenya’s leather sector and unlock billions in revenue. Speaking to members of the press during a joint assessment tour of the facility, Livestock Development Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fast-tracking delivery of flagship projects under President William Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Accompanied by Public Works PS Joel Arumonyang, PS Mueke emphasized the strategic importance of the park in transforming the livestock value chain and anchoring Kenya’s position as a global leader in leather manufacturing and exports.
“This park is a key pillar in our mission to elevate livestock production beyond the farm. We are building an ecosystem that will create jobs, spur industrial growth, and expand market access for our leather products,” PS Mueke stated.
Jointly developed by the Kenya Leather Development Council (KLDC) and the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), the park is designed to unlock the full potential of Kenya’s leather industry. Once complete, it will support 36 tanneries and 18 leather value-addition factories, with the capacity to process up to 3 million hides and 18 million skins annually. This is projected to grow national leather earnings from KSh. 15 billion to KSh. 120 billion.
To accelerate investor readiness, four modern ‘plug-and-play’ warehouses have already been set up. In addition, the development of key infrastructure—including internal roads, water systems, power substations, and a state-of-the-art Common Effluent Treatment Plant—is well underway. Ongoing efforts are also focused on improving access roads, expanding bulk water supply, and enhancing power connectivity.
Beyond infrastructure, the park is expected to be a massive job creator. The government projects over 100,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities upon full operationalization—up from the current 17,000 jobs supported by the sector.
Under PS Mueke’s leadership, the Ministry of Livestock Development continues to champion a value chain approach that links production with processing, and processing with prosperity, cementing Kenya’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable economic transformation.
