President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed the Ministry of Trade and Industrialization to commence processes in resuming the importation of Second-hand clothes, otherwise known as Mitumba – By Gerald Gekara.
Uhuru during his address, noted the dire situation of employment in the country, with the majority of stalls in the clothing industry closing down and laying off their workers.
The directive, issued by the Kenya Bureau of Standards in March, saw the termination of mitumba imports into the country, specifically from pandemic stricken countries.
The relatively low priced second-hand clothes have continued to drive demand for the merchandise at the expense of locally-made clothes.
Kenya’s orders for mitumba clothes hit Sh17.77 billion in 2019 from Sh16.93 billion in 2018, Sh13.06 billion (2017), Sh12.86 billion (2015), and Sh10.15 billion a year earlier, according to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
Mitumba Association of Kenya, who earlier held talks with the Industrialization CS Ms. Betty Maina, said they have stepped up Covid-19 mitigation protocols such as fumigation of the merchandise and market stalls.
