Cotton stakeholders have intensified the “Buy Kenya, Build Kenya” campaign in Mpeketoni as farmers called for the establishment of more textile industries in the region.
The farmers said locally grown cotton has become a key solution to the area’s harsh weather conditions while creating employment opportunities for the youth.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ forum organized by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), farmers said the hot and humid climate in the coastal region had pushed many residents to embrace cotton apparel because of its comfort and ability to absorb sweat.
They urged the government to discourage excessive importation of foreign textiles and instead support local industries that use Kenyan cotton.
Mary Mwangi, Samuel Kabutha and Mbakuli Hassan Mbakuli, all cotton farmers from Mpeketoni, said clothes made from cotton are more weather-friendly compared to other fabrics, especially for farmers working long hours in the fields.
They noted that cotton garments help keep the body cool and are also ideal for school-going children because of their comfort. The farmers further appealed for the establishment of factories manufacturing cotton-based rubber shoes and other apparel products in the area.
The farmers praised the growing cooperation between the national government, county governments and private textile industries, saying the partnership had already attracted factories to the region and created jobs for many young people.
They noted that the introduction of BT cotton farming had transformed livelihoods in the area by improving production and increasing farmers’ earnings.
AFA Chairman Cornelly Serem challenged Kenyans to support locally manufactured fabrics by purchasing clothes made within the country instead of relying on imports.
“When you are asking the government to create jobs for your children while you are wearing clothes imported from Turkey, China or the UK, are you really serious?” he posed.
He said it was government policy for public officials to promote locally made fabrics by wearing Kenyan-manufactured garments.
His sentiments were echoed by Tejal Dhodhia, the Chief Executive Officer of Thika Cloth Mills and a major stakeholder in the cotton value chain.
Dhodhia urged schools across the country to stop importing materials for school uniforms and instead source locally manufactured fabrics. She said doing so would create employment opportunities for students after graduation and strengthen Kenya’s textile industry.
Dhodhia also called on politicians to support local manufacturers by ordering campaign materials from Kenyan textile firms.
She commended the current government for supporting the sector through tenders awarded to local industries, noting that many uniforms worn by Kenya’s disciplined forces are produced by Thika Cloth Mills.
Stakeholders at the meeting maintained that strengthening the cotton value chain through local production, processing and consumption would not only boost farmers’ incomes but also reduce Kenya’s dependence on imported textiles while driving industrial growth in coastal counties.
