KAMPALA- The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat has concluded the EAC Regional Leather Platform Meeting in Kampala which was held with the support of the East African Business Council (EABC) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) through the EU-funded EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II).
This hybrid event aimed at accelerating the implementation of the East African Community Leather and Leather Products Strategy 2020-2030 and identify key priority interventions for 2026-2027.
The meeting brought together representatives from Partner States, national leather apex bodies, private sector stakeholders, and development partners to address barriers and define priority initiatives for the region’s leather industry.
With growing regional demand for leather products, discussions centered on transforming the sector by scaling up domestic production capabilities, boosting value-added production, expanding market opportunities, and driving sustainable industrialization.
The leather sector in East Africa holds important market potential for manufacturers, driven by abundant raw materials in the EAC, which accounts for 4% of the world’s cattle and 6% of small ruminants.
However, despite the region’s abundant resources, there remains untapped potential to enhance value addition, particularly in transforming hides and skins into higher-value products such as wet blue, finished leather, and leather goods and key challenges include access to quality hides, limited industrial infrastructure and
high production costs that hinder progress.
Addressing these barriers presents a significant opportunity to strengthen African sourcing, boost local manufacturing, and position the continent as a competitive player in the global leather market.
Public and private stakeholders should work together to enhance quality, invest
in processing facilities and drive sustainable growth in this promising sector.
The meeting opened with remarks from key officials, underscoring the sector’s promise and bold interventions andcm the Chairperson of the Leather Platform for this year representing Kenya Jimmy Odhiambo from the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, emphasized that the leather sector is a vital economic driver, and through the Leather Platform, there is need for unity of the industry to push for quality and policy harmonization to compete globally.
The Director of Productive Sectors at the EAC Secretariat, Jean Baptiste Havugimana, noted that the leather industry has deep historical roots in East Africa, yet despite a vast supply of raw materials from over 500 million livestock, the sector faces persistent challenges, including low value addition, limited processing, and inadequate infrastructure.
He said that the EAC Secretariat is committed to tackling the issues
through regional strategies focused on value addition, technology and market access.
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) will be key in driving infrastructure development and fostering innovation, alongside greater investment in research and collaboration to enhance the global competitiveness of East African leather products.
The Vice Chairperson of East Africa Business Council, Simon Kaheru asserted that the leather sector holds immense potential, with the opportunity to create 500,000 direct jobs and generate $1.5 billion in annual export revenue.
Kaheru said that expanding market access for SMEs, promoting locally made leather goods and mobilizing investments are critical to driving sectoral transformation and East African Business Council remains committed to supporting the Leather and Leather Products Platform to turn this potential into tangible economic benefits for East Africans.
The meeting reinforced key priorities to transform the East African Community leather sector which include improving the quality of hides and skins, strengthening local manufacturing, attracting investments and building globally competitive industries which align with ongoing regional efforts.
The public-private EAC Regional Leather Platform will amplify the industry’s voice, harmonize policies and drive investment into processing and manufacturing meeting growing demand for quality leather goods and footwear and these efforts are part of the implementation of the EAC Leather and Leather Product Strategy.
As part of the meeting, participants visited a leather production site, a Ugandan impact-driven fashion brand specializing in handcrafting stylish and customizable leather products, as well as the Department of Leather and Textile Technology at Kyambogo University to gain practical insights into local innovations, training, and value addition efforts.
