In the sweltering heat of Mpeketoni, the hum of machinery is replacing the silence of despair. The completion of a state-of-the-art cotton ginnery has ignited a frenzy in Lamu County, transforming it into the unlikely capital of Kenya’s textile revival.

For decades, cotton farming in Lamu was a fool’s errand—farmers were held hostage by volatile prices and the lack of local processing, forcing them to transport their harvest hundreds of kilometers to Kitui or Makueni. But with the new facility by Thika Cloth Mills (TCM) now 95% complete, "White Gold" is back, and it is carrying the hopes of a new generation.

The BT Cotton Revolution

The turnaround is driven by two factors: technology and market assurance. The introduction of Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) cotton, a genetically modified variety resistant to the African bollworm, has seen yields triple. Where farmers once harvested 500kg per acre, they are now hitting 1,500kg.

"I used to view cotton as a poverty crop for old men," says Jennifer Wambui, a 28-year-old farmer who abandoned watermelon farming for cotton. "Now, with the ginnery next door and the price at KES 72 per kilo, it is the most profitable venture in the county."

• Youth Influx: The project has done what few agricultural initiatives achieve: attracted the youth. Over 1,000 young farmers have joined the Lake Kenyatta Cooperative Society, drawn by the "cash on delivery" model promised by the ginnery.
• Security Dividend: For years, transporting cotton meant navigating roads prone to Al-Shabaab attacks. The local ginnery eliminates this risk, reducing logistics costs by 40%.
• Economic Impact: Last season alone, Lamu farmers earned KES 335 million. With the ginnery operational, that figure is projected to hit KES 1 billion by 2027.

From Farm to Fashion

Tejal Dhodhia, CEO of Thika Cloth Mills, calls the Mpeketoni ginnery a "national strategic asset." By processing lint at the source, Kenya reduces its reliance on imported fabric, breathing life into the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya dream.

Lamu is now the leading cotton-producing county in Kenya, a title that would have been laughable five years ago. As the first bales of lint roll off the production line next month, Mpeketoni is not just exporting cotton; it is exporting a model of how agro-processing can stabilize a volatile region. The guns are silent, but the gins are roaring.