PS BEACCO: WE’RE COMMITTED IN OUR QUEST TO REVAMP THE LEATHER INDUSTRY

By Nicholas Kigondu 

The government through the State Departments for Correctional Services and that of Livestock Development is working on a plan to revive the prisons leather industry amid rising demand for quality leather products.

Speaking during a tour of Kitengela GK Prison alongside Livestock Development PS Jonathan Mueke, Correctional Services Principal Secretary Dr. Salome Beacco said the plan will see the revamping of the leather industry in Kitengela and Kamiti Prisons which she said is one of the priority value chains in the President’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

“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 expose offenders to requisite skills that will help them become self-reliant once they complete their jail terms.” Said PS Beacco.

Beacco says the envisaged plan fits into her eight-point priority agenda which includes modernization of the prison industry through enhanced manufacture of industrial goods, modernization of workshops and working tools, enhancement of vocational training as well as increased seed capital for acquisition of raw materials.

The plan will also see select instructors receive specialized training on leather technology. 
According to Mueke, the Government's plan to transform the leather industry into a mega job creation engine is on track with rising need to increase the capacity to manufacture quality leather.

“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.