How Thika Cloth Mills is reviving Kenya’s cotton industry

By Lawrence Ongaro

For decades, Kenya’s cotton industry has held the promise of transforming rural agriculture into an engine of industrialisation, employment creation and wealth generation.

However, that potential remained largely untapped as farmers abandoned the crop due to expensive inputs, unreliable markets and inadequate processing infrastructure.

Now, a renewed partnership between the government, through the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), and Thika Cloth Mills is giving the industry a fresh lease of life.

The government’s distribution of Bt cotton seeds across traditional growing regions marks another significant step towards restoring local production. The exercise entered its second day at Kathwana in Tharaka Nithi County following its launch at Mutuobare, Kiambere Ward, Mbeere North, Embu County.

The programme also targets farmers in Meru, Kirinyaga, Machakos, Makueni and Kitui, among other cotton-growing regions, offering renewed hope to thousands of growers ahead of the anticipated El Niño rains.

In Mutuobare, farmers Francis Runje and Joseph Nyagah welcomed the intervention, describing the free Bt seeds as a major relief to small-scale growers who previously struggled to afford quality planting materials.

They said a kilogramme of Bt cotton seed had been selling at approximately KSh4,000, putting it beyond the reach of many farmers.

The two farmers explained that the improved variety takes approximately three months to mature, compared with six months for conventional varieties. It also produces more cotton bolls and offers resistance to destructive insect pests.

They expressed optimism that access to the seeds, favourable weather and proper farming practices would help them increase production and improve their incomes.

An AFA director said the government was committed to ensuring adequate seed availability as part of a broader strategy to restore cotton production and strengthen the country’s textile industry.

At the centre of this transformation is Thika Cloth Mills Chief Executive Officer Tejal Dhodhia, whose involvement in the cotton value chain extends beyond textile manufacturing.

For years, her company relied on cotton imports from neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania to sustain its operations because domestic production could not meet industrial demand.

However, since 2016, intensified campaigns under the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya initiative, improved incentives and an increase in the cotton purchase price from KSh52 to KSh72 per kilogramme have encouraged farmers who had abandoned the crop to return to their fields.

Dhodhia says the growing production is changing Kenya’s cotton outlook, with industry stakeholders now exploring opportunities to export surplus cotton rather than relying heavily on imports to meet domestic manufacturing requirements.

She says Thika Cloth Mills and other industry players are ready to purchase farmers’ cotton at KSh72 per kilogramme, providing an important market incentive for growers to expand production.

Dhodhia has personally supported farmers across the country through the provision of cotton seeds and pesticides, making the government’s latest intervention particularly significant in easing the burden on private investors.

Bt cotton seeds distributed to farmers in Mbeere North Constituency, Embu County. Photo: Courtesy

She has urged farmers to prepare their land early, plant in good time and take advantage of the anticipated rains.

Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire echoed the call, pledging that her administration would work with the national government and private investors to empower farmers, support agricultural production and strengthen market access.

She described the partnership as an opportunity for farmers to rebuild their livelihoods through a crop with an established industrial market.

Bringing processing closer to farmers

While seed distribution in Eastern Kenya is opening new opportunities for growers, another important development is taking shape in Lamu County, where Thika Cloth Mills has invested in modern cotton-ginning infrastructure at Mpeketoni.

For decades, the distance between cotton-growing areas and processing facilities discouraged production, with farmers facing high transport costs and logistical challenges.

The new ginnery is intended to bring processing closer to farmers, creating a more organised supply chain through which cotton can be aggregated, processed and supplied to textile manufacturers.

The investment is expected to create employment, reduce post-harvest costs and provide a more dependable market for coastal cotton growers. It also positions Lamu as an emerging centre for cotton production and processing.

Through cooperatives and organised farmer groups, growers can aggregate their produce and access a structured market. The ginnery separates cotton lint from seed before the lint proceeds to textile manufacturing.

This is the foundation of a cotton-to-fabric economy in which value is created at every stage, from seed production and farming to ginning, spinning, weaving, garment manufacturing and retail.

Lamu’s growing cotton production, supported by Thika Cloth Mills’ collaboration with farmer cooperatives, is helping strengthen the supply and processing chain. The company’s manufacturing operations in Thika provide an important industrial destination for locally produced cotton, helping retain more economic value within the country.

Beyond cotton farming

The economic benefits of a revived cotton industry could extend far beyond farms and factories.

Increased production means more opportunities for agricultural workers, transporters, input suppliers, cooperative societies, ginnery operators, technicians and garment manufacturers. Women and young people also stand to benefit from employment and enterprise opportunities across the value chain.

Dhodhia has pointed to government procurement of locally manufactured uniforms for the Kenya Defence Forces, National Youth Service and National Police Service as an example of how public procurement can sustain domestic manufacturing.

A storage facility for Bt cotton in Mbeere North Constituency, Embu County. Photo: Courtesy

She is urging Kenyans to embrace the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya initiative, arguing that supporting local industries is essential for employment creation, industrial sustainability and economic growth.

The partnership between farmers, government and manufacturers therefore presents an opportunity to turn cotton into a broader rural and industrial development programme.

However, sustaining the revival will require more than distributing seeds. Farmers need timely access to quality inputs, extension services, reliable rainfall information, competitive prices and consistent markets. Manufacturers, on the other hand, require sufficient quantities of locally produced cotton to operate efficiently.

AFA industry data has previously shown that domestic production remains below the raw-material requirements of textile manufacturers, underlining the scale of the recovery still needed.

With the seed distribution programme, investment in processing infrastructure in Lamu and Thika Cloth Mills’ commitment to purchasing local cotton, the building blocks of a stronger value chain are taking shape.

The ultimate ambition is to move Kenya from importing cotton to producing enough for its industries, creating jobs, improving farmers’ incomes and eventually positioning the country as a regional supplier of cotton and textile products.