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The government, through the State Departments for Correctional Services and Livestock Development, is set to rejuvenate the prisons leather industry in Kitengela and Kamiti Prisons to meet the growing demand for high-quality leather products.
During a tour of Kitengela GK Prison, Correctional Services Principal Secretary Dr. Salome Beacco and Livestock Development Principal Secretary J. Mueke announced the strategic initiative, which aligns with the President’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. This agenda identifies leather as a critical value chain for economic growth.
“It is our great desire to revive the leather industry in the two facilities. We are looking at several options including public-private partnerships to ensure this endeavor crystalizes. Our plan is to ensure that the government earns revenue from the industry while at the same time exposing offenders to requisite skills that will help them become self-reliant once they complete their jail terms,” said PS Beacco.
The revitalization plan is part of Dr. Beacco’s eight-point priority agenda, which includes:
- Modernization of prison industries through enhanced manufacturing of industrial goods.
- Upgrading workshops and working tools.
- Enhancing vocational training for inmates.
- Increasing seed capital for acquiring raw materials.
Additionally, the plan will involve specialized training for select instructors in leather technology, ensuring the industry maintains high standards and meets global demand.
PS Mueke emphasized the government’s commitment to transforming the leather industry into a significant job creation engine, citing substantial global demand for Kenyan leather products.
“Our plan to transform the leather industry into a mega job creation engine is very much on track. We are already seeing a huge demand for Kenyan leather from around the world,” observed Mueke.
This initiative aims to generate revenue for the government while equipping inmates with valuable skills, facilitating their reintegration into society as self-reliant individuals upon completing their sentences.
