Ruto sets three-year target to end shoe imports

President William Ruto has set a two-to-three-year target for Kenya to stop importing shoes as the government pushes for greater use of locally produced leather. Speaking at the Agriculture and Food Security town hall, Ruto said the country should transform its livestock resources into finished products, creating employment and retaining more money within the economy. "I want to assure you that...in the next two to three years, we will not be importing shoes from anywhere," he said. Ruto said the government was waiting for local manufacturers to improve the quality of their fotwear before Kenya could fully embrace locally made products. "I'm just waiting for the manufacturers to improve on their quality," he said. He said eight companies were already using Kenyan leather to manufacture products locally, signalling what he described as progress in the leather industry.