Kenya: Beyond the Cotton Field - The Race to Build Kenya's Cotton-to-Textile Industry

What the report says

Kenya is trying to revive its cotton sector, but the focus is shifting beyond farming to the wider textile value chain, according to an AllAfrica report by Paul Thiong'o. The story, published on 21 August 2026, centers on the push to turn more of the crop into local value through ginning, spinning, weaving and garment production, rather than exporting raw cotton or importing much of the fabric used by Kenyan manufacturers.

The article highlights Thika Cloth Mills Ltd and its Cotton Development Lead, Hesborn Olweny, as a key example of that effort. The company has been working more closely with farmers and cooperatives, especially in Lamu, where Bt cotton adoption has helped restore output. AllAfrica reports that Thika Cloth Mills bought a little over two million kilogrammes of seed cotton from Lamu last season, out of roughly 3.5 million kilogrammes produced there, while other ginners bought the rest.

The broader argument is that processing cotton closer to where it is grown can cut transport costs, speed up ginning and preserve quality, while also creating jobs in seed-oil processing, animal feed, logistics, engineering and garment manufacturing. The report says Kenya’s challenge is not only raising production, but ensuring predictable supply, consistent quality and better financing for farmers, including timely seed access and prompt payment after harvest.

The piece also notes a policy and industrial message behind the revival: Kenya already has apparel production, but much of the raw material is still imported. The goal, as described in the article, is to move toward clothing that is made in Kenya from Kenyan cotton, supporting a larger domestic industrial ecosystem.