This archive report was first published on 13 August 2019.
On August 13, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta officially reopened the Rivatex Textile Plant in Eldoret, a Sh6 billion investment by the Treasury and the Indian government.
The plant, which was once a fully state-owned company, had collapsed two decades ago due to mismanagement and corruption.
Acquired by Moi University four years ago, the factory has been revamped with modern machinery imported from India, valued at Sh5 billion.
However, the plant is now facing a shortage of raw materials and a lack of skilled manpower to operate the machinery.
Managing Director Thomas Kipkurgat acknowledged the challenge, stating that the company needs skilled workers to operate the modern machines.
To address this issue, the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rift Valley Technical Training Institute to train workers on skills development.
The first batch of workers will be dispatched to the institute to learn how to operate the machines.
