KICOTEC – Kitui County Textile CenterTrade and Manufacturing
Sewing its way to success with modern garment factory
Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu launched the Kitui County Textile Centre (KICOTEC), which is the first ever garment factory by a County government in Kenya.
The county government envisages the factory will reduce the cost of garments especially uniforms and ensure that students stay in school and parents retain money to put to other needs.
According to Governor Charity Ngilu, an average of 486,000 students in both primary and secondary schools in the county will save over sh 2billion in a year translating to sh. 2.43 billion annually. A whopping 90% of the county’s expenditure on uniform goes to neighboring Thika, Nairobi and Kiambu counties.
The county is targeting income from local and national productions that will play a key role in boosting her economy. The gains from KICOTEC will support other services of the County like provision of clean water, affordable healthcare and education.
The KICOTEC’s establishment will promote buying of localproducts and essentially support local businesses to grow especially the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which account a high percentage of the county’s income.
Governor Ngilu’s move aims at ensuring the county’s economy is improved by stimulating use of locally produced goods.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive that uniforms for government officers be manufactured at the county textile centre is viewed as an approval for Governor Charity Ngilu’s new garment factory.
Mr. Kenyatta directed that the uniforms be made at the factory in line with his fourth pillar of the Big Four agenda – manufacturing.
The declaration by the President will also boost the county as it will significantly raise the service industry in Kitui.
US Ambassador Visit to Kitui factory set to rise county’s manufacturing economy


National Government lauds Ngilu for county textile factory
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In Summary
•All chiefs’ uniforms will be made by the Kitui-based Kicotec.
•Textile factory described as an embodiment of a county government keen to improve its people’s livelihood.