DP William Ruto woos leather manufacturer in Italy

Deputy President William Ruto at a meeting in Italy (PHOTO:COURTESY)

One of the world’s largest leather products manufacturer is contemplating setting up an operation in Kenya.

Rino Mastrotto Group said on Wednesday that it would like to create a partnership with the government that would see hundreds of youths employed in the firm.

In a meeting with Deputy President William Ruto in its Veneto offices, the Italy-based company expressed its desire to set up operations in Africa through Kenya.

The firm’s owner Rino Mastrotto said venturing in Africa would be like in 1998 when he set up his business in Brazil after a more than 20-year research.

“It was a country that was fast consuming leather; a business desert adventure,” said Mr Mastrotto.

He said businesses thrive under stable governments, and the political tranquility in many African countries provided a warm environment for them to run an Africa operation.

Mr Ruto lauded the Group for expressing its desire to invest in Kenya, observing that Kenya enjoys a conducive environment, making it favourable for businesses to grow.

He said the government would offer necessary assistance that would aid the firm in establishing its footing in Kenya.

“Kenya would be your gateway to Africa. We have a huge population of livestock in Kenya and other African countries. We are consolidating Africa, making it a market of more than one billion people. Now, this is an opportunity for you to put your business in Africa,” said Ruto.

By setting base in Kenya, the Deputy President said the firm would not only be creating jobs to youths but also boost income for farmers.

He noted that the country’s strong human capacity would offer quality labour, making the firm that manufactures seats for Ferrari, Mercedes, Lamborghini, Porsche, among other vehicles thrive.

“Work skill is Kenya’s biggest asset. We would also want to set up a special technical training institute whose focus would be on footwear industry,” said Ruto.