Kenya’s Cotton-to-Garment Value Chain Creates 50,000 Jobs in 2023

Kenya’s revived cotton industry supported 50,000 direct jobs in 2023—from farming to ginneries, spinning, and garment making—up from 12,000 in 2021. The Cotton Revival Strategy, led by the Ministry of Industrialization, has established cotton clusters in Bungoma, Busia, and Homa Bay. Rivatex Kenya in Eldoret now supplies fabric to UNHCR and local schools. The government banned used clothing imports to protect local textile jobs. New investments include a Ksh3 billion spinning mill in Webuye. With AfCFTA, Kenya targets $500 million in textile exports by 2030, competing with Bangladesh and Vietnam.