The modernization exercise of Rift Valley Textiles (Rivatex) that kicked off in May 2018 is expected to be completed in April.
According to the Managing Director Prof Thomas Kipkurgat the company is now 85 percent complete.
“The modernization exercise is being financed by a shilling 3billion loan from the Exim Bank of India. We expect to complete the whole process at the end of April ready for launch in May,” he said.
Prof Kipkuragat spoke to the press after he hosted the Principal Secretary for industrialization Betty Maina on Sunday who was inspecting the progress of the modernization process.
“Once complete the company will be in a position to produce 40,000 meters per day compared to now where we only produce 5,000 meters. Our aim is to reduce importation and encourage buy Kenya build Kenya,” added the Rivatex MD.
He noted that more than 2, 000 jobs through forward and backward linkages will be created, hence promoting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s big four agenda on industrialization.
He however, said they are facing a major challenge of raw materials where they require a total of 600,000 acres of cotton for the firm to meet their daily targets.
“I urge other cotton producing counties to encourage their farmers to produce cotton since there is a ready market within Kenya since the demand is very high,” the MD urged.