President William Ruto announced that Kenya will manufacture leather shoes for every school‑going child, estimating a market of 14 million learners.

The announcement was made at the Innovation Summit held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre on 4 November 2026, where Ruto called on local footwear producers to step up and supply schools nationwide.

Ruto linked the shoe programme to a Ksh5.8 billion investment in the Kenya Leather Industrial Park in Kenani, Machakos, inaugurated on 2 September by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and equipped with modern processing and manufacturing facilities.

He said the manufacturing ecosystem will be devolved so that each county receives a share of the opportunities, moving production away from a Nairobi‑centric model.

The shoe initiative follows a June order that required security agencies to purchase boots made in Kenya, a policy Ruto confirmed had resulted in fully local military and police boots by October.

Ruto highlighted Kenya’s strong livestock base – the country ranks 11th globally in herd size with about 80 million animals – as a strategic advantage for expanding the leather sector.

Despite the livestock advantage, Kenya currently ranks 87th among 208 countries in leather apparel exports (Ksh68 million) and 101st among 223 importers (Ksh285 million), underscoring the need to boost domestic production.