Ruto: We will not be importing shoes in the next 3 years
President William Ruto has set a two- to three-year target for Kenya to stop importing shoes, saying the country will instead manufacture footwear and other leather products locally. Speaking at an Agriculture and Food Security town hall at Jamhuri Park in Nairobi on October 8, 2026, Ruto said the government was working to increase the […]
President William Ruto announced his intention to stop importing shoes in Kenya within the next two to three years, with the aim of manufacturing footwear and other leather products locally. At a town hall meeting in Nairobi, Ruto emphasized the government's efforts to increase the amount of Kenyan leather used by local manufacturers and reduce reliance on imported finished products.
The president highlighted the progress made in the leather industry, citing the locally manufactured boots for security agencies as a success story. Ruto's announcement builds on previous commitments, including the government's goal to transform the leather value chain by moving from raw and semi-processed hides and skins to finished leather and leather products.
The government aims to increase annual incomes in the leather subsector from Ksh15 billion to Ksh120 billion, create 100,000 jobs, and boost footwear production from eight million to 36 million pairs by 2027.
Brief written by urgent.news from People Daily Kenya's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
