It is a boost for Kisumu textile industry after a garment industry officially opened in the region.
In an occasion graced by Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma, the launch now means an opportunity for many fashion designers to make garments and sell them to the market.
This will deal a blow to the many second hand clothes traders who import their products from various countries abroad.
The sector has also employed millions of youth and women who sell them on open air markets and established shops.
“The initiative is set to benefit students from Kisumu National Polytechnic, designers as well as create employment for many youth who will benefit from the value chain,” said Ranguma.
Plans to revive cotton growing in Kisumu to support the project is underway, with residents set to benefit from subsidized hybrid cotton seeds alongside other incentives to kick-start the process.
Since the collapse of the Kisumu cotton mills (KICOMI), the textile industry went down with cotton farmers lacking a market for their crops.
There have been persistent efforts to revive the mills but none has borne fruits.