County eyes textile to spur growth

Nandi County has set up a textile value addition unit as it positions to enhance job and wealth creation.

The County forged a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Rivatex fabric manufacturing firm in Eldoret for the supply of finished fabrics. The Nandi Textiles (Natex), located at Mosoriot in Chesumei constituency, Nandi County will be supplying the finished tailoring material.

Natex, a flagship project in Nandi eyes school uniforms, dust coats, aprons and other fabrics products to be sold to government and private institutions. Nandi county administration has invested over Sh50 million towards the first phase of construction of the Natex tailoring unit that is expected to provide job opportunities and boost the economic growth of the devolved unit.

“Construction work has been finalised and all modern tailoring equipment have been imported. The structures cost Sh22 million, while equipment and training took up Sh30 million,” said Mr Jacob Tanui, the Nandi County Executive Committee (CEC) member Trade, Investment and Industrialisation.

Tanui said the collaboration has seen the first batch of 300 youths trained in tailoring including designs are expected to boost the country’s ‘Buy Kenya, Build Kenya’ initiative.

“With the MOU, Rivatex will sell us finished fabrics (processed materials) and the tailoring unit at Natex will add value, processing uniforms for our primary and secondary schools at subsidised prices, uniforms for hospitals, private security firms among other institutions,” Tanui said.

Last week, Nandi Governor Stephen Sang inspected the projects and said: “The establishment will open more job opportunities to our youth as well as improving the economic growth of our county”.