The rise, fall and rise again of Rivatex, firm that now holds patent for Tami dye
Rivatex East Africa Limited production line. The firm receives government support through budgetary allocations. FILE | JARED NYATAYA |
In June 1975, Kenya’s former president Daniel arap Moi, who was then the vice president, officiated at the opening of Rift Valley Textiles (Rivatex).
Built using loans from the Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation, a government agency established to promote projects that create wealth and jobs for Kenyans, Rivatex employed 400 people and was the first Kenyan textile firm to install computerised mills imported from the US. It declared profits in its first three years of operation.
