To support local production, President William Ruto has pledged to ban the importation of the products.
He said that it was time Kenya supported local production of the raw material available.
"Miaka mbili ijayo, nitapiga marufuku mambo ya kuleta viatu na mambo mengine ya leather kutoka nje," Ruto said on Sunday.
This translates to: In the next two years, I will ban the importation of leather products. We will start producing our own leather products.
The President explained that Kenayns choose to feed leather from livestock to dogs instead of manufacturing products.
"Our leather we give dogs to feed but we choose to import leather from outside which is costly. This is not right. There is no miracle in the imported leather. It is from the same cows," he added.
The Head of State noted that by having local manufacturing of leather products, jobs will be created.
"Even if there are jobs outside, we have to create here back at home," Ruto said.
He emphasized that the Kenya Kwanza government has big plans for the manufacturing sector.
Ruto said the identified value chains have significant untapped industrial potential and will create thousands of jobs.
“We see leather, pyrethrum, cotton, textiles and apparel, pharmaceutical, edible oils as value chains whose industrialisation will hasten the attainment of our vision for national economic growth and transformation,” the President said.
He said Kenya’s leather industry is operating well below its potential despite having the third-largest livestock population in Africa.
“We import shoes worth nine billion every year. Our leather industry has the capacity to deliver 80,000 jobs and 100 billion dollars. This is a gap we must close.”