Kirinyaga County partners with National Gov’t to train butchers on hides and skins handling

The county government of Kirinyaga has partnered with the national government to train butchers in hide and skin handling as part of an initiative to grow the leather industry.

The training that was conducted at Kibingo Slaughterhouse in Kerugoya brought together 197 butchers and flayers as well as 20 members of staff working in the county’s livestock and veterinary department.

The capacity building is part of the government’s Linda Ngozi initiative that aims to improve the quality of hides and skins in order to support a competitive leather and leather products manufacturing industry for improved earnings for producers.

During the training, butchers were sensitized on the appropriate methods of flaying, tools and equipment, as well as abattoir standards. They learned how to properly handle raw animal skins and hides to minimize damage all stages.

The training came at a time when the County Governor Anne Waiguru is spearheading the development of an industrial park which will host a leather industry among others. The governor has said that the leather industry has great potential to turn around the county’s economy due to high demand by local leather producers and exporters.

During the launch of free ECDE uniform distribution in the county, Waiguru said that the county planned to further support ECDE students by distributing shoes in an initiative that will explore the use of animal skins from slaughterhouses for production of shoes at the EPZ Industrial Park in Sagana.

“We are committed to going beyond just uniforms. Our next step is to ensure that every child receives a pair of shoes. We will work with the Agriculture and Livestock Department to educate slaughterhouse and abattoir operators on processing of animal skins for shoe production. We want to give each and every child a pair to go to school,” she noted.

True to her promise, the County Government has committed to the growth of the leather industry through building the capacity of farmers on how to maintain health skins on their animals through proper disease and ticks control and the training of those involved in slaughter and hides and skins handling.

The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture and Livestock, Dr John Gachara, noted that Kirinyaga County is home to 52 slaughterhouses whose butchers and flayers have now been equipped with the relevant skills to maintain high-quality hides and skins.

“We are working closely with the State Department of Livestock to ensure that the leather industry thrives. By teaching proper techniques right from the farm, we can guarantee that our hides and skins meet the highest standards, unlocking great value for our farmers and traders."

"With the establishment of the leather industry at the Sagana Industrial Park, this initiative will empower Kirinyaga residents to tap into the multi-billion-shilling leather industry and secure a brighter economic future for our county,” said the CECM.

Margaret Wakuthii, Kirinyaga County Leather Development Officer, emphasized the importance of proper flaying techniques to maintain the quality of the skins and hides. She explained that the initiative is not only about teaching butchers the right skills but also about ensuring they have access to the proper knives, which are essential for the task.

“The Linda Ngozi Initiative is focused on equipping our butchers with the knowledge and tools to effectively flay hides and skins without causing damage,” Wakuthii said.

“By improving flaying techniques, we can help increase the quality of the skins and hides produced in Kirinyaga, which have a huge potential in the leather industry” she stated adding that the project also aimed at professionalizing flaying process thus creating sustainable employment.

Wakuthii emphasized on the significance of the leather industry to Kirinyaga's economy, sharing that the county produces approximately 14,000 skins and hides annually. She estimated that if this potential is fully harnessed, the leather industry could generate up to KSh. 300 million annually for the region.

The Acting Director of the Leather Development Office, Norah Chemirmir, emphasized on government’s ambitious plan to transform Kenya’s leather industry.

“Our mission is to empower the leather value chain by conducting capacity-building and sensitization activities to flayers across the country. This will ensure players in the industry are equipped to produce high-quality hides and skins,” said Chemirmir, noting that the initiative is aligned with the government's bottom-up roadmap to revitalize the leather industry, with a strong focus on minimizing damage during the slaughterhouse process, as this directly impacts the quality of leather products.

She said that it was also a way of transitioning from exporting semi-processed leather to finished products will not only boost our exports but also reduce reliance on imported goods like shoes, fostering a more self-reliant and prosperous Kenya.

According to the National Directorate of Hides and Skins, it is estimated that raw hides and skins quality improvement without value addition will increase the value of wet blue export earnings by Ksh. 28 billion.

As part of the training, the butchers were also provided with various types of knives specially designed for flaying, along with certificates of participation. They hailed the initiative as a timely intervention in growing the county’s leather industry.

“This training will not only help us improve our skills but also enable more people in the community to earn a living by properly handling skins and hides,” Idd Abdulrahman, a butcher at Kibingo slaughterhouse said.

David Kanake, another butcher,  expressed gratitude for being equipped with the right knife for the job, noting that it would improve the quality of work and enable the hides generate more money for the community.