Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has called on Kenyans to shed off the culture of mediocrity and skepticism that hinders national progress. Speaking during a meeting with Kenyan professionals in Windhoek, Namibia, Kindiki urged citizens to align with the government’s growth agenda and believe in transformative projects.
The Deputy President emphasized that the country cannot achieve significant progress if its people continue dismissing every intervention by the government as a joke. He lamented that many Kenyans have become accustomed to lies, small dreams, and mediocrity, which has dampened the national spirit of ambition.
“We have 32 companies that have expressed interest in setting up at the Kenya Leather Industrial Park (KLIP) in Kenanie, Athi River. It looks like a joke because Kenyans are used to mediocrity, lies, and small dreams,” Kindiki said.
The Kenya Leather Industrial Park is one of the government’s flagship projects aimed at boosting the leather industry by aggregating hides and skins for value addition. The project is expected to increase job creation in the leather sector from the current 17,000 jobs to approximately 150,000. Kindiki explained that the industrial park would help the country stop wasting valuable hides and skins, which are often discarded or given away for free by livestock farmers.
“Hides and skins are 100 times more valuable than meat because they make expensive shoes that many of us wear. One hide can produce several pairs of shoes, each worth tens of thousands of shillings. Yet, today our livestock farmers throw hides away to be eaten by hyenas,” he stated.
Kindiki reiterated that the KLIP project is on course for completion by June 2025 and encouraged Kenyans to have faith in its potential. He stressed that even if not all investors materialize, the few who come on board will create jobs, add value to raw materials, and significantly improve the economy.
“If we get our act together, we will attract investors, create jobs, add value to products, and make our country better. It is time to stop thinking small and embrace the possibility of success,” Kindiki concluded.
The Deputy President’s remarks come as the government intensifies efforts to revive the country’s manufacturing sector and promote industrialization as part of its economic transformation agenda.
