The national leather tannery park, which was initially planned for Bugesera District, will now be constructed in Gicumbi District, Prudence Sebahizi, the Minister of Trade and Industry, told the parliamentary Committee on State Budget and Patrimony while discussing the 2026/27 budget allocations.

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The tannery park had been planned for the Bugesera Special Economic Zone (BSEZ). However, it was later realised that the zone could not host the facility, the minister revealed.

Sebahizi said the government subsequently commissioned a feasibility study to identify an alternative location. The relocation will not affect the overall timeline of the tannery park project, which is expected to be completed by 2029.

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"The project for the establishment of the tannery park made it necessary to relocate the site initially planned in Bugesera to Gicumbi District, resulting in the non-utilisation of the previously allocated budget of Rwf4.58 billion,” he said.

Sebahizi told MPs on Tuesday that Rwf20 billion is needed for the garment and leather development project, including the tannery park, expos and exhibitions.

"The government is yet to secure an investor,” he said, noting that Rwf538 million was allocated for the 2026/27 fiscal year.

In 2025, former Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente indicated that, once fully operational, the tannery park is projected to generate $430 million in annual revenue.

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The tannery park, he explained, is one of the projects Rwanda is prioritising to drive economic growth under the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), which runs from 2024/2025 to 2028/2029.

According to Rwanda’s 10-year industrial policy, which runs from 2024 to 2034, the leather goods subsector presents short-term opportunities for producing items such as boots and shoes for the domestic market, as well as long-term opportunities for high-value products such as bags and jackets for export.

The subsector supports cattle farmers, tanneries and related services, and has the potential to create numerous jobs.