Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, in his bit to revive the country's cotton industry, has urged the government ministries and institutions to purchase cloth for producing staff uniforms from domestic industries.
Odinga promised to revive the country's once thriving domestic textile industry as it once generated thousands of jobs for Kenyans in sectors such as textile production and cotton growing in the country, before the industry crumpled.
Prime Minister has also directed Permanent Secretaries to look into this directive and ensure it's duly followed.
However, the textile sector, in order to produce cloth for the domestic market at reasonable rates, has urged the government to relax few regulations that otherwise force the factories in the Export Processing Zones (EPZ) to produce cloth exclusively for overseas sales.
According to industry experts, relaxing regulations will help Kenyans to purchase new apparels instead of second hand apparels that have flooded the domestic market.
More so, members of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) have condemned the high manufacturing cost, as higher energy costs in the country were forcing investors to invest in neighbouring countries wherein cheaper rates are being charged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk - India