Rivatex revival good for economy but State must protect it from saboteurs

President Uhuru Kenyatta is received by his Deputy William Ruto as other senior government officials watch closely, during the official commissioning of Rivatex East Africa Limited Ultra- Modern Production Plant in Eldoret yesterday. 21.06.2019. PHOTOS BY PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD

Cotton was once among Kenya’s cash crops, supporting over half a million farmers and industry employees in the 80s and 90s. Textile companies such as Kisumu Cotton Mills (KICOMI) and Rift Valley Textiles (Rivatex) were household names in East Africa, with their high quality products ubiquitous around the region.

But with the decline of cotton farming over the years, these companies became shells of their former selves, and thousands of workers and people who depended on the sector lost their livelihoods. The country had to depend on imported raw materials, which further dented local farming and Kenya's finished products became uncompetitive in regional markets.