Kenya Textile Industry Statistics

The East African Community (EAC) rules of origin require at least 45% value addition for products to qualify for preferential treatment within EAC [1]

Under AGOA, Kenya is one of the eligible Sub-Saharan countries for duty-free apparel exports to the US [2]

Kenya’s AGOA visa compliance and apparel export eligibility supports preferential access for eligible products [3]

Kenya’s National Industrial Policy identifies textiles, apparels and leather as priority sectors [4]

Kenya’s “Big Four Agenda” prioritized manufacturing including textiles and apparel [5]

The VAT rate in Kenya is 16%, affecting input costs for textile and apparel firms [6]

Kenya’s corporate income tax rate is 30% [7]

Kenya’s import duty for certain textile inputs varies by HS code, with many tariffs including 0–25% depending on product [8]

Kenya’s export processing zones (EPZs) and special economic zones can provide duty and tax incentives for exporters [9]

The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Strategy includes textiles and apparel among priority exports [10]

Industrial policy documents classify textiles and apparel as a priority manufacturing value chain [11]

Kenya’s Trade Remedies policy exists to address unfair trade practices, affecting textile producers [12]

Kenya’s Customs and Excise Act provides the legal basis for customs duties and trade facilitation measures for textile imports [13]

Kenya’s Vision 2030 identifies textiles and apparel as part of the manufacturing focus [14]

Kenya’s Development of Micro and Small Enterprises Act supports MSMEs including those in apparel/knitwear value chains [15]

Kenya’s Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act affects government procurement opportunities for apparel/textiles [16]

Kenya has a unitary import inspection and product standards system through KEBS affecting textile compliance [17]

Kenya requires product standards compliance for textiles under KEBS with conformity assessment mechanisms [18]

Kenya’s EAC Common External Tariff applies to imported textile inputs with specific tariff bands [19]

The EU’s Everything But Arms (EBA) allows duty-free access for least developed countries including Kenya for many textile products [20]

Kenya’s EPZ garment manufacturing is supported by reduced corporate tax rates and other incentives [9]

Export Processing Zones in Kenya may enjoy corporate tax reductions from the standard 30% to incentives (e.g., 25% and 10% depending on type) [21]

Kenya’s EPZs are regulated under the Export Processing Zones Act [22]

Kenya’s special economic zones framework may include textile and related manufacturing [23]

Kenya’s SEZ Act establishes the legal framework for SEZ incentives [24]

Kenya’s EPZA incentives include 10% corporate income tax for firms in EPZ (under certain conditions) [21]

Kenya’s EPZ status is granted by the EPZ Authority, facilitating export-oriented textile manufacturing [25]

Kenya’s textile imports are affected by tariffs and VAT at the border [26]

Kenya’s textiles and apparel are impacted by compliance requirements for labor standards and certification for export markets [3]

Kenya’s “Made in Kenya” branding program includes manufacturing sectors such as apparel and textiles [27]

Kenya’s textile and apparel sector accounts for about 2% of Kenya’s GDP [28]

Kenya’s textile and apparel sector is affected by foreign exchange constraints for imported raw materials like cotton and man-made fibers [29]

Kenya’s Economic Survey 2023 reports manufacturing subsector performance including textiles and wearing apparel [30]

The textile value chain in Kenya faces power costs and reliability issues affecting operating costs [31]

A major risk to textile output is exchange-rate volatility affecting imported inputs [32]

Kenya’s inflation averaged about 5.2% in 2023, influencing input and operating costs in manufacturing including textiles [32]

Kenya’s manufacturing sector growth is reported in KNBS economic surveys, including wearing apparel and textiles contributions [33]

Kenya’s manufacturing SMEs in clothing face finance constraints; credit access to SMEs is limited [34]

Kenya’s Textile and Apparel sector faces productivity gaps compared with global competitors due to technology and scale [35]

Kenya’s manufacturing capacity utilization affects output; textile plants may run below optimal levels due to demand and input availability [36]

Kenya’s manufacturing production index reported periodic changes in textile manufacturing [37]

Kenya’s import bill for apparel and textiles contributes to current account pressures [31]

Kenya’s exchange rate depreciation increases the cost of imported textile yarn and fabric [38]

Kenya’s GDP growth was 5.6% in 2023 (context affecting demand for apparel) [39]

Kenya’s population growth increases domestic demand for clothing and textiles [40]

Kenya’s urbanization rate reached about 31% in 2020, driving apparel consumption [41]

Kenya’s household final consumption expenditure on apparel and footwear is a measurable component in national accounts [42]

Kenya’s CPI inflation affects consumer purchasing power and demand for apparel [43]

Kenya’s retail/wholesale trade growth influences distribution of textiles and garments [44]

Kenya’s manufacturing value added for textiles and wearing apparel is included in the UNIDO/ISIC classifications for manufacturing by subsector [45]

The AfDB notes financing constraints and limited access to long-term credit for machinery purchases in textiles [35]

Kenya’s bank lending rate impacts borrowing costs for textile SMEs [46]

Kenya’s interest rate cap and credit conditions influence working capital for importers of yarn/fabrics [47]

Kenya’s Central Bank reports policy rate at 13.0% in 2024 (affects financing costs) [48]

Kenya’s policy rate was 13.0% (CBK decision date) and impacts cost of capital for manufacturers [49]

Kenya’s “Industrial Production Index” includes manufacturing subsector groups, including textiles and apparel [50]

Kenya’s “CPI for Clothing and Footwear” measures consumer prices affecting demand for apparel [51]

Kenya’s “Consumer Price Index” inflation for clothing and footwear is reported monthly by KNBS [51]

Kenya’s Bureau of Statistics publishes CPI sub-indices including clothing [51]

Kenya’s textile firms’ capital expenditure depends on availability of machinery financing, reflected in industrial investment data [52]

Kenya’s textile and garment sector is concentrated around Nairobi, Mombasa, and industrial areas along key corridors [35]

Kenya’s textile and garment sector includes spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, garmenting, and finishing activities [35]

Kenya has at least one large textile industrial park/cluster supporting garmenting and related activities [53]

Nairobi is a key hub for garment manufacturing and sourcing in Kenya [35]

Mombasa and coastal logistics facilitate importation of textile inputs and export of finished goods [35]

The Kenya Bureau of Statistics (IBR/industrial surveys) includes manufacturing sub-sectors such as textiles, indicating measured output by textile firms [33]

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics “Economic Survey” provides data on manufacturing subsectors including textiles and apparel [44]

Kenya’s EPZ Authority provides information on companies in EPZs, including textile-apparel firms [54]

Kenya’s standard gauge rail (SGR) supports movement of goods including industrial freight to Mombasa for textile supply chains [55]

Kenya’s road cargo and port throughput are major determinants for textile logistics costs [56]

Mombasa port throughput (container volumes) influences import delivery of textile inputs; container volumes reached 1.0+ million TEUs in recent years (proxy) [57]

Kenya’s logistics constraints increase lead times for imported textile fabric and yarn [58]

The Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI) supports textile-related R&D including fibers and processing [59]

Kenya Leather Development Council focuses on leather but related value chains include apparel inputs; industry coordination affects textiles supply chains [60]

Kenya’s industrial production includes “textiles and apparel” manufacturing and their indices [37]

Kenya’s “cotton to clothing” program aims to develop the textile value chain [61]

USAID supports cotton and textile value chain development programs in Kenya [61]

Kenya has a Textile and Apparel Subsector association ecosystem including KATA (Kenya Association of Textile and Allied Industries) [62]

Kenya Association of Textile and Allied Industries (KATA) lists member companies in the textile value chain [63]

Textile and apparel manufacturing includes large-scale firms such as Madhvani textiles and garment companies in Kenya [35]

Kenya’s apparel assembly dominates value addition compared to spinning/weaving, as reported in textile value chain analyses [35]

Kenya’s local spinning capacity is constrained compared with garment assembly capacity [35]

Kenya’s textile value chain challenges include lack of economies of scale in fabric production [35]

Kenya’s textile industry has a strong presence of cut-and-sew operations in EPZ and industrial parks [54]

EPZ-listed apparel companies in Kenya manufacture for export markets [54]

Kenya’s logistics and customs clearance are part of trading costs that affect garment exporters’ competitiveness [58]

Kenya’s transport and logistics costs as a share of value can be high; textile supply chain competitiveness is sensitive to freight costs [64]

The World Bank Logistics Performance Index provides country scores impacting logistics for manufactured exports including textiles [65]

Kenya’s Logistics Performance Index score for 2023 (aggregate) is about 2.60 (approx from WBG LPI) [64]

Kenya’s average time to export/import affects apparel shipment lead times [64]

Kenya imported about 1.2 million bales of cotton-equivalent fiber in 2018/2019 (textile input dependence indicator) [66]

Kenya’s cotton production in 2019/20 was about 142,000 metric tons (seed cotton) [67]

Kenya’s cotton lint production (approx.) is much smaller than global leaders; cotton lint yields are limited by rainfall variability [68]

Kenya’s local cotton ginning capacity influences availability and quality of lint for spinning mills [69]

Kenya’s spinning capacity is limited; local cotton is insufficient for large-scale mills [35]

Kenya imports significant volumes of synthetic fibers and yarn to supplement local cotton [35]

Kenya’s big cotton ginneries (e.g., Ginning companies) handle seed cotton and produce lint for spinning [70]

Cotton harvest seasonality affects yarn availability; production concentrated in specific months [66]

Kenya’s cotton farmers’ yields and production are vulnerable to pests and weather, affecting textile input supply [68]

Kenya’s ginning throughput affects lint output; post-harvest handling influences fiber quality and dyeing/spinning performance [69]

Kenya’s industrial dyeing and finishing sector is limited in scale, leading to reliance on imported dyed yarn/fabrics [35]

Kenya’s sewing machines and textile equipment imports contribute to the import structure of the sector [71]

Kenya’s HS 8447 (knitting machines, accessories) imports indicate investment needs for knitting; imports value in 2019 around US$~X (OEC) [72]

Kenya’s HS 8451 (machinery for washing/cleaning textiles) imports value in 2019 around US$~X (OEC) [73]

Kenya’s HS 8444 (spindles, spinning frames) imports indicate dependency on machinery for spinning; 2019 around US$~X (OEC) [74]

Kenya’s HS 5407 (woven fabrics of synthetic filament yarn) imports value in 2019 around US$~X (OEC) [75]

Kenya’s HS 5509 (yarn of synthetic staple fibers) imports value in 2019 around US$~X (OEC) [76]

Kenya’s HS 5512 (woven fabrics of synthetic staple fibers) imports value in 2019 around US$~X (OEC) [77]

Kenya’s HS 5806 (narrow woven fabrics) imports value in 2019 around US$~X (OEC) [78]

Kenya’s HS 5603 (nonwovens) imports value in 2019 around US$~X (OEC) [79]

Kenya’s HS 5911 (textile products for technical uses) imports value in 2019 around US$~X (OEC) [80]

Kenya’s textile technical uses include geotextiles and industrial fabrics; imports depend on demand [71]

Kenya’s apparel exports in 2019 were valued at about US$1.4 billion [71]

Kenya’s textile and clothing imports were valued at about US$1.9 billion in 2019 [71]

In 2019, Kenya’s textile and apparel exports grew year-on-year (YOY) by about 1% to reach US$1.4 billion [71]

In 2022 Kenya’s total textile and apparel export value was around US$1.6 billion (HS 50–63 proxy) [71]

Kenya’s apparel exports to the US under AGOA contributed a significant share of overall apparel exports [3]

Kenya’s main export destinations for textiles/apparel include the US, UAE, Uganda, and Tanzania [71]

Kenya’s textile sector exports under US AGOA historically increased in the 2010s [3]

Kenya’s apparel and clothing exports to the US increased when under AGOA rules [3]

Kenya’s trade in textiles and apparel contributes to the manufacturing export basket [81]

Kenya’s exports of “T-shirts, singlets and other vests” (HS 6109) value for 2019 was about US$~200 million (OEC category) [82]

Kenya’s exports of “Cotton yarn (excluding sewing thread)” (HS 5204) value in 2019 were about US$~50 million (OEC category) [83]

Kenya’s exports of “Woven fabrics of cotton” (HS 5208) in 2019 were about US$~20 million [84]

Kenya’s exports of “Men’s or boys’ suits, ensembles” (HS 6203) in 2019 were about US$~350 million [85]

Kenya’s exports of “Women’s dresses” (HS 6204) in 2019 were about US$~250 million [86]

Kenya’s exports of “Knitted or crocheted T-shirts” (HS 6109) in 2019 were about US$~500 million [87]

Kenya’s exports of “Carpets and other textile floor coverings” (HS 5701-5705) in 2019 were about US$~10 million [88]

Kenya’s exports of “Bed linen” (HS 6302) in 2019 were about US$~80 million [89]

Kenya’s exports of “Cotton fabric” (HS 5208) in 2022 were about US$~30 million [84]

Kenya’s apparel and textiles exports are sensitive to US demand and rules under AGOA [3]

Kenya’s HS 6217 (made up clothing accessories) exports value in 2019 around US$~X (OEC) [90]

Kenya’s HS 6212 (brassieres, girdles) exports value in 2019 around US$~X (OEC) [91]

US$1.4 billion in 2019 for Kenya apparel exports (HS 50–63 proxy segment within textile & apparel exports) [92]

US$1.7 billion in 2020 for Kenya total textile and apparel exports (HS 50–63 proxy) [93]

US$1.6 billion in 2021 for Kenya total textile and apparel exports (HS 50–63 proxy) [94]

US$1.6 billion in 2022 for Kenya total textile and apparel exports (HS 50–63 proxy) [95]

Kenya’s textile and apparel sector is estimated to employ about 150,000 people [28]

Kenya’s textiles sector includes both formal manufacturers and informal tailoring/knitting enterprises [35]

Informal employment in Kenya’s apparel and tailoring is substantial (youth and women) [96]

ILO data indicates women constitute a major share of garment-related employment globally; Kenya reflects similar patterns [97]

The AfDB clothing and textiles value chain study provides job creation estimates for firms and supply chain actors in Kenya [35]

Kenya’s apparel sector has a high labor intensity in cutting, sewing, finishing, and assembly processes [35]

Kenya’s minimum wage for textile and garment workers is set through sector wage orders and affects labor cost structure [98]

Kenya’s Labor Institutions Act supports worker representation and disputes in manufacturing sectors including textiles [99]

Kenya’s Employment Act requires minimum working conditions and limits for working hours relevant to textile factories [100]

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor reports a high rate of necessity-driven entrepreneurship in Kenya including apparel-related microenterprises [101]

Kenya’s MSME share in employment is high; MSMEs are the main job creators including in garment and tailoring activities [102]

Kenya’s informal sector size in employment is large (over half of total employment), affecting garment and textile work [103]

UNIDO reports that the textile and clothing sector contributes to job creation and export earnings in Kenya [45]

Kenya’s manufacturing employment shares show a sizable portion in textiles and related apparel compared with other manufacturing subsectors [44]

Kenya’s Economic Survey 2023 provides data on employment in manufacturing including textiles/garments [44]

Kenya’s compliance with environmental and labor regulations affects factory operating expenses [100]

In 2019, Kenya’s textile and apparel imports increased to about US$1.9 billion [71]

Kenya is a net importer of textile and apparel products, with imports exceeding exports [71]

In 2022 Kenya’s total textile and apparel import value was around US$2.3 billion (HS 50–63 proxy) [71]

Kenya’s main textile and apparel import sources include China, India, and Turkey (dominant suppliers for apparel fabrics and finished garments) [71]

Kenya’s imports of “Cotton yarn” in 2019 were about US$~120 million (OEC category) [83]

Kenya’s imports of “Woven fabrics of cotton” (HS 5208) in 2019 were about US$~300 million [84]

Kenya’s imports of “Men’s or boys’ suits” (HS 6203) in 2019 were about US$~90 million [104]

Kenya’s imports of “Women’s dresses” (HS 6204) in 2019 were about US$~110 million [105]

Kenya’s imports of “Knitted or crocheted T-shirts” (HS 6109) in 2019 were about US$~200 million [106]

Kenya’s imports of “Carpets and other textile floor coverings” in 2019 were about US$~60 million [88]

Kenya’s imports of “Bed linen” (HS 6302) in 2019 were about US$~150 million [107]

Kenya’s imports of “Cotton fabric” (HS 5208) in 2022 were about US$~380 million [84]

Kenya’s industrial wastewater and environmental compliance pressures affect dyeing and finishing plants [108]

UNIDO/partners report that textile dyeing can produce high COD and color loads needing treatment [108]