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Morara Kebaso highlights why manufacturing industries die in Kenya
14th August, 2025 10:18 PM
Activist Morara Kebaso has raised concerns over the collapse of Kenya’s manufacturing sector, blaming it on the decline of agriculture and overreliance on imports.
In a statement on August 14, 2025, Kebaso said most of the country’s industries have been reduced to empty halls where imported goods, mainly from China, are repackaged and branded as “Made in Kenya”.
“My dream is to be a top manufacturer in this country. But the manufacturing sector in this country is dead. Most of the industries in Kenya are empty halls where Chinese goods are repacked as made in Kenya. Did you know that clothes are shipped from Asia into special government EPZ zones and labelled ‘made in Kenya’, then exported to the USA? Moses Kuria, you know what I’m saying,” he stated.
Kebaso further claimed that many goods sold locally as Kenyan-made are largely imported in raw or semi-processed form, with minimal value addition done in the country.
He cited examples including iron sheets shipped in as rolls, then pressed into different shapes for sale; cooking oil imported as crude, refined locally, and marketed as Kenyan sunflower oil; tissue paper brought in as large rolls, cut into smaller pieces, and packaged as Kenyan brands; as well as locally “made” cars assembled from imported spare parts.
He also noted that Kenya imports key food commodities such as sugar, rice, and maize from Brazil, Mexico, and Pakistan at prices so low that it is no longer viable for local traders to buy from Kenyan farmers.
Agriculture
According to Kebaso, the death of agriculture triggered the downfall of manufacturing because of a lack of raw materials.
“The reason manufacturing died is that agriculture died. When raw materials are unavailable in large quantities to support industry, you have no choice but to import. If I start a factory to process cotton to fabric, I may not find enough cotton to keep my machines running, and if I do, the cost of power will be unbearable,” he added.
