Deputy President William Ruto and Azimio Leader Raila Odinga over comments about imported second-hand garments, dubbed’mitumba.’Â
During the introduction of his manifesto at Nyayo Stadium on Monday, Odinga said that the country’s textile industry was not reaching its full potential due to an inflow of mitumba.
DP Ruto minimized Odinga’s manifesto in a Twitter post on Tuesday, implying that the former president’s strategy for the country’s textile industry will harm the second-hand clothes industry.
According to KEBS, the mitumba business has also served as a breadbasket for over 2 million Kenyans.
In reaction to the DP’s remarks, Odinga shared a video from a previous campaign rally in which he declared that if he wins the presidency, his government will restrict the importation of mitumba and promote the use of locally created goods.
Raila warned DP Ruto in a tweet that his words have come back to bite him, implying that the country’s second-in-command was likely exploiting Odinga’s remarks on mitumba for political gain.
