Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary incharge of Trade, Investment and Industry, Moses Kuria has promised to create five million job opportunities in the country’s local textile industry.
Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV on Wednesday, Kuria pointed out that Kenyan clothing factory had very few workers.
He said Kenya had 50,000 workers as compared to Bangladesh with five million.
“By manufacturing here, I will create the same. I will create five million jobs within the textile industry,” he said.
Speaking on Tuesday at the launch of the Changamka Shopping Festival, Kuria said the sector has the potential to contribute 20 per cent to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and create jobs.
Kuria said he is committed to boosting the industry and driving mitumba to extinction.
He clarified that the government had no plans of banning the same but rather creating fierce competition with locally made clothes.
“For the record let me tell you something. I will not ban mitumba, but I will make mitumba to be less attractive to our people,” he said.
“… and I will make sure that I create jobs so people can be able to get paid and afford better clothes than mitumba.”
The former legislator said he was going to hold talks with mitumba sellers and include them in the local textile industry.
He assured them that he will have them sell local clothes so that they do not lose their jobs.
