In Narok County and other neighboring counties, livestock remains the most significant and valuable livelihood option despite other diversified options. It provides subsistence, cash income and is the greatest symbol of social status. It is a way of life, supported by complex production and social relationships, highly adaptable to utilization of resources of the semi-arid rangelands.
The Authority has established a Tannery and Leather factory in Ewaso Ng’iro centre, Narok County. It is one of the Big Four Agenda projects initiated by the Authority with the main objective of improving livelihoods, creating employment and enhance GDP growth through manufacturing and value addition. According to the Kenya Economic survey of 2018, Livestock and its related products contributed more than Ksh.135.6 Billion to the GDP making it one of the highest contributor to the GDP.
Construction of the factory building, water power, utilities and installation of tanning & leather processing equipment was completed in the year 2019. The factory has an installed capacity to process 1,000 tons of hides and skins annually and is equipped to process utpo finished leather.
Currently, the factory is operational and over 800,000 sq ft of leather and other leather products have been produced hence creating employment for hundreds of youths along the leather value chain.
The facility has a modern Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) capable of recycling 75% of the wastewater for re-use.
- Project name - Ewaso Ngiro Tannery and Leather factory
- Project Geographical location - Ewaso Ngiro Narok County
- Project Type/Category - Category 2 (Large Project)
- Implementing organization(s) - Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority
- Counties covered - Narok, Bomet, Nakuru and Kajiado Counties
- Project purpose - The project objective is to improve livelihoods and enhance socio-economic development in the basin through livestock by-product value addition, industrialization and employment creation.
- Brief description - The tannery and leather project will utilize hides and skin for production of leather, which mostly is left to waste or fetch very low prices. The project components include: 1. Construction of a tannery and leather factory (3,200sqm) with a capacity of 2,000 tonnes of hides and skins annually (one of the largest tannery and leather factory in Kenya). 2. Construction of Effluent treatment plant. 3. Construction of water utilities, access road, perimeter fence and power supply. 4. Machines and Equipping of the tannery and leather factory. 5. Establishment of collection centres.
6. Establishment of a training centre and community capacity building 7. Operation and marketing - Economic benefits and social benefits - Employment creation; 400 direct employment and over 5,000 indirect jobs, foreign earning / revenues of upto US$8milllion annually.