This hybrid event aimed to accelerate the implementation of the EAC Leather and Leather Products Strategy 2020-2030 and identify key priority interventions for 2026-2027
The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat convened an EAC Regional Leather Platform Meeting from 3–5 April 2025 in Uganda. The meeting was held with support of the East African Business Council (EABC), and the International Trade Centre (ITC) through the EU-funded EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II).
This hybrid event aimed to accelerate the implementation of the EAC Leather and Leather Products Strategy 2020-2030 and identify key priority interventions for 2026-2027.
The meeting brought together representatives from Partner States, national leather apex bodies, private sector stakeholders, and development partners to address barriers and define priority initiatives for the region’s leather industry. With growing regional demand for leather products, discussions centered on transforming the sector by scaling up domestic production capabilities, boosting value-added production, expanding market opportunities, and driving sustainable industrialization.
The leather sector in East Africa holds important market potential for manufacturers, driven by abundant raw materials in the EAC, which accounts for 4% of the world’s cattle and 6% of small ruminants. However, despite the region's abundant resources, there remains untapped potential to enhance value addition, particularly in transforming hides and skins into higher-value products such as wet blue, finished leather, and leather goods. Key challenges, including access to quality hides, limited industrial infrastructure, and high production costs, hinder progress.
Addressing these barriers presents a significant opportunity to strengthen African sourcing, boost local manufacturing, and position the continent as a competitive player in the global leather market. Public and private stakeholders should work together to enhance quality, invest in processing facilities, and drive sustainable growth in this promising sector.
The meeting opened with remarks from key officials, underscoring the sector’s promise and bold interventions. The Chairperson of the Leather Platform for this year (Kenya Representative) Mr. Jimmy Odhiambo from Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry emphasized that “the leather sector is a vital economic driver, and through the Leather Platform, we’re uniting the industry to push for quality and policy harmonization to compete globally.”
Mr. Jean Baptiste Havugimana, Director of Productive Sectors at the EAC Secretariat, declared that “The leather industry has deep historical roots in East Africa, yet despite a vast supply of raw materials from over 500 million livestock, the sector faces persistent challenges, including low value addition, limited processing, and inadequate infrastructure.
The EAC Secretariat is committed to tackling these issues through regional strategies focused on value addition, technology, and market access. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) will be key in driving infrastructure development and fostering innovation, alongside greater investment in research and collaboration to enhance the global competitiveness of East African leather products.”
Mr. Simon Kaheru, Vice Chairperson of EABC, asserted that "The leather sector holds immense potential, with the opportunity to create 500,000 direct jobs and generate $1.5 billion in annual export revenue. Expanding market access for SMEs, promoting locally made leather goods, and mobilizing investments are critical to driving sectoral transformation. EABC remains committed to supporting the Leather and Leather Products Platform to turn this potential into tangible economic benefits for East Africans.”
The meeting reinforced key priorities to transform the EAC leather sector: improving quality of hides and skins, strengthening local manufacturing, attracting investments, and building globally competitive industries. Aligning with ongoing regional efforts, the public-private EAC Regional Leather Platform will amplify the industry’s voice, harmonize policies, and drive investment into processing and manufacturing—meeting growing demand for quality leather goods and footwear. These efforts are part of EAC Leather and Leather Product Strategy implementation.
As part of the meeting, participants visited a leather production site, a Ugandan impact-driven fashion brand specializing in handcrafting stylish and customizable leather products, as well as the Department of Leather and Textile Technology at Kyambogo University to gain practical insights into local innovations, training, and value addition efforts. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.
Parliament Session after the long recess . February 11th,2025 (Elvis Ogina, Standard)
The National Assembly on Wednesday, April 16, passed the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating of Terrorism Financing Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The Bill, which introduces amendments to 10 Acts of Parliament, aims to combat money laundering, terrorism financing, the illegal proliferation of funds, and strengthen oversight of civil society funding, betting firms, and other sectors.
The Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill seeks to align Kenya’s regulatory framework with international standards after Kenya was grey-listed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in 2023 for failing to meet global compliance requirements.
The bill was sponsored by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah.
“The bill seeks to address the technical compliance deficiencies identified arising from the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group re-rating and review by FATF,” said Ichung’wah.
The Prevention of Terrorism Act, on the other hand, proposes to amend terrorism by expanding the definition of terrorism financing and grants the Public Benefits Regulatory Authority powers to monitor and report the Non-Governmental Organisations' finances to the government.
The Betting Control and Licensing Board will also gain expanded authority to regulate and supervise entities within its jurisdiction, mostly with regard to anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and counter-proliferation financing. Betting firms will be subject to thorough vetting of shareholders, directors, and senior employees.
Other amendments target the Retirement Benefits Act, tasking regulators to enforce compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules among entities under their oversight. By Sharon Wanga, The Standard
A driver of Somali origin and an SSPDF soldier were injured when the vehicle was ambushed in Abiemnom County in Ruweng Administrative Area (RAA) on Sunday.
The local authorities said they suspected armed youth from Mayom County were behind the attack.
Abiemnom County Commissioner Mario Deng Ayol told Radio Tamzaju Sunday that the incident happened at 6:30 a.m. in the area on the border of Abiemnom and Mayom County in Unity State.
“Armed youth were involved in the attack on the Somalia vehicle, which was coming from Bentiu Town and going to Juba through the Abiemnom road,” he explained. “The attackers were not identified, but we suspect they are from Mayom County because two weeks ago, armed youth from there overran the headquarters of Abiemnom County and killed over 46 people and severely injured other people during the fighting.”
Commissioner Deng added: “The wounded people were transferred to Abiemnom Hospital and I went to hospital to see them and they are recovering.” Radio Tamazuj
A displacement site in eastern DR Congo, where a combination of conflict and recent flooding is compounding suffering.
GENEVA – Severe flooding triggered by torrential rains in recent weeks has displaced almost 10,000 people in Tanganyika Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This unfolding emergency reflects the double crisis facing the DRC, where extreme weather shocks such as flooding compound the suffering caused by ongoing conflict and mass displacement.
The Rugumba River burst its banks, inundating large areas of Kalemie and Nyunzu territories. Homes, schools and agricultural land have been destroyed, leaving thousands without shelter or livelihoods. Stagnant and contaminated floodwaters are raising concerns over the risk of disease outbreaks, with reported cholera cases in the province already six times higher than during the same period last year.
The flooding has hit a community already under severe strain. Since January, Tanganyika has received around 50,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) fleeing violence in South Kivu. Many had been sheltering in local homes, churches, and schools—now damaged or destroyed. The floods also wiped out key crops like cassava, maize, and peanuts, worsening an already serious food insecurity situation in the country.
According to recent assessments, 2.3 million people across four provinces affected by ongoing conflict — South Kivu, North Kivu, Ituri, and Tanganyika — face life-threatening hunger in the coming months unless urgent action is taken.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and humanitarian partners are providing emergency support, including shelter, clean water, food, and medical care. However, response efforts are hindered by critical funding gaps, leaving thousands without the aid they urgently need.
In addition, reports indicate that some Congolese refugees who recently fled to neighbouring Burundi have since returned to DRC. Many cited dire living conditions, including limited access to food, shelter and basic services, as key factors influencing their decision to return even in the face of persistent conflict and uncertainty in the DRC.
However, Congolese refugees are still on the move as they continue to cross the border into neighbouring countries seeking safety. Nearly 120,000 people have so far arrived in Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda, with the latter having received over 5,500 refugees in the last week. This trend highlights the urgent need for increased support in both host countries and return areas to address the challenges faced by returnees and refugees in neighbouring countries.
With continued displacement caused by floods and conflict, food insecurity, and the looming threat of disease outbreaks, a coordinated and robust humanitarian response is critical to prevent further suffering and loss of life. UNHCR has received only 20 per cent of the funding needed to carry out its life-saving response in the DRC. The people of the DRC are in dire need of aid, and without timely and adequate intervention, the consequences of this tragic ‘double crisis’ will only deepen. ReliefWeb
Operating room with modern monitors and equipment. [Courtesy]
The healthcare has emerged as the top sector in industries with most Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven solutions. A recent study by Yijin Hardware indicates that the health sector leads with an AI engagement score of 100, reflecting a large number of AI start-ups and extensive financial support.
According to the study, the global AI start-up investments in healthcare amount to $4.2 billion including medical AI-analysis of X-rays and MRIs, administrative automation and drug development. Currently, the study indicates there are 11,228 healthcare-specific active AI start ups across the world.
The research aimed at assessing the level of AI dependency across various industries in 2025. The research takes into account global investments in AI start-ups, the number of industry-specific AI start-ups, interest in AI technologies reflected through Google search volume, and top uses for AI technologies in the industry.
To value this, the researchers analysed three key metrics including search volume for AI in industry-specific terms, number of AI-related start ups and global AI start-up investment. Each metric was assigned a weight based on its relevance to the level of AI adoption.
This included a 50 per cent on the number of AI-related startups, 30 per cent on AI investment and 20 per cent on search volume.
After applying the weights to each metric, the data was normalized on a scale from 1 to 100, with 100 representing the highest AI adoption within the industry.
The final ranking is based on the AI engagement score, which was calculated using the key factors described above.
According to the research, the finance sector ranks 2nd in the list of the most AI-driven industries in 2025, with a score of 72.4. There is a similar number of AI start ups, 11,057, but the funding is smaller. Global investments sum up to $2.1 billion, two times less than for healthcare with the main AI uses in the sector including fraud monitoring and trading automation. The marketing and advertising sector is third, getting an AI engagement score of 60.9.
According to the report, there is more interest in AI innovations in the sector from the general public than in finance, with 241,000 monthly searches.
The global funding comes to $1.1 billion for over 9,970 AI start-ups. Legal services follow closely with fourth place and a score of 58.1. The number of AI start-ups in the industry is a little lower than in marketing & advertising, but the finding is much smaller at $0.4 billion, 5 times less than for finance and 10 times less than for healthcare.
Education and learning is fifth in the ranking of the most AI-driven industries in 2025, with an AI engagement score of 41.8.
The innovations in this sector are the second most popular, with over 399,000 queries each month.
Most popular AI innovations in the industry are related to virtual tutoring and test grading automation.
With regards to the least AI-driven industries, construction is the least AI-driven sector with a minimal possible score of 1.
The report indicates there are less than 700 active startups in the sector, with a total funding of $200 million, the lowest in the list.
Insurance takes second place among the least AI-driven industries of 2025, getting an AI engagement score of 5.2.
The public interest towards AI innovations for insurance is higher than for construction, with 61K monthly queries and there are currently 678 active startups in the industry.
Real estate holds third place, scoring 5.4. The funding for it is the same as for insurance AI innovations, at $600 million globally, although there are more startups for AI in the sector than in insurance or construction, with 799.
Manufacturing ranks 4th, getting an AI engagement score of 9.5. The general interest in AI in the industry is similar to insurance, but the startups gather more funding, with $900 million.
The most explored directions for AI innovations in manufacturing are machine failure detection and quality control.
Agriculture closes the ranking of the least A-driven industries with fifth place and a score of 11.4.
The report indicates there are over 1,700 start-ups focused specifically on AI in agriculture, developing technologies for spotting insect pests and monitoring crop health.
At the same time, the funding for AI in agriculture is smaller than for manufacturing or real estate at $500 million.
Yijin Hardware spokesperson said the clear divide in AI adoption across industries reveals a growing innovation inequality that could permanently transform competitive landscapes.
“This widening gap is not just about efficiency gains, it represents a fundamental reimagining of how entire sectors function, with early AI adopters positioned to completely redefine market rules while technological laggards face increasingly difficult catch-up challenges,” said the spokesperson.
According to them, as algorithms become more sophisticated, this digital divide threatens to become permanent, potentially creating entirely separate economic ecosystems operating at dramatically different speeds and capabilities. By Patrick Vidija, The Standard
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