Kenya’s Textile and Apparel Industry: Challenges and Opportunities
The fashion and textile value chain is extensive, encompassing numerous activities, processes, and stages, each with its own technical and economic profile. It is considered one of the most diverse value chains. The chain includes:
- Fiber production through agriculture and farming (natural fibers) or extraction (synthetic fibers)
- Production of yarns, fabrics, and textiles
- Design and garment production
- Logistics and retail
- Consumption and post-consumption
In Kenya, the textile and apparel value chain also includes second-hand clothing imports, known as mitumba, which present both benefits and challenges. The fashion sector further extends to accessories such as jewelry, bags, shoes, and hats. This complexity leads to diverse opportunities and challenges at each stage of the textile value chain. For example, modern textile manufacturing, such as weaving and fabric finishing, is highly automated and requires high capital investments, while garment production, especially mass production, needs less investment and often uses unskilled labor.
This report analyzes Kenya’s textile and fashion industry, examining its value chain from raw materials to post-consumer waste. It highlights challenges like low local fiber production, reliance on imports, and gender inequality, alongside opportunities in circular economy practices, sustainable materials, and leveraging digital platforms. The report emphasizes the importance of design, vertical integration, and trade agreements for industry growth, advocating for a more sustainable and ethical future through education, collaboration, and policy changes. It profiles various Kenyan businesses pioneering sustainable and circular initiatives. The conclusion stresses the need for collaborative action to overcome existing obstacles.
