East African Community (EAC) Regional Leather Platform Meeting held in Kampala to Unlock Leather Sector Potential

 

The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat convened an EAC Regional Leather Platform Meeting from 3–5 April 2025 in Uganda. The meeting was held with 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 to accelerate the implementation of the EAC 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. Key challenges, including access to quality hides, limited industrial infrastructure, and high production costs, 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. The Chairperson of the Leather Platform for this year (Kenya Representative) Mr. Jimmy Odhiambo from Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry emphasized that “the leather sector is a vital economic driver, and through the Leather Platform, we’re uniting the industry to push for quality and policy harmonization to compete globally.”

Mr. Jean Baptiste Havugimana, Director of Productive Sectors at the EAC Secretariat, declared 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. The EAC Secretariat is committed to tackling these 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.”

Mr. Simon Kaheru, Vice Chairperson of EABC, 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. Expanding market access for SMEs, promoting locally made leather goods, and mobilizing investments are critical to driving sectoral transformation. EABC 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 EAC leather sector: improving quality of hides and skins, strengthening local manufacturing, attracting investments, and building globally competitive industries. Aligning 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.  These efforts are part of EAC Leather and Leather Product Strategy implementation. 

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.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.