Raila: Mitumba traders will sell locally made clothes
Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga yesterday outlined his plans for traders of second hand products known as mitumba, citing that his administration will see the revival of textile industries to enable them market locally manufactured products.
While outlining his plans for the traders during his manifesto launch at Nyayo stadium, Mr Odinga lamented that the textile industry in the country had been killed through liberalization, which led to the importation of mitumba products.
“Our people are only wearing clothes coming from outside the country which have been worn by people who are dead. We are going to go to primary production so that our people who are importing mitumba can have good products to sell here,” the ODM leader said.
He pointed out that his administration will ensure that those who are importing mitumba get the first hand to market the locally manufactured products in the country.
“I’m saying that we are not moving anybody out of business. We will ensure that those who are importing mitumba get the first hand to market goods which are going to be manufactured here in this country.
“We will get the cotton, jinn it here, spin it here and make finished products here,” Mr Odinga said.
He noted that this will create a big source of employment of the youth in the country, majority of whom lack jobs opportunities.
“We will also promote farming of other products like Blixen and cocoa. Coconut is going to Ssese Island in Uganda, we will introduce it here as a cash crop and use it to manufacture beverages here in this country,” the Azimio flag-bearer said.
The mitumba sales have been booming in the country and in 2020 when the government banned the imports of the second hand products to avert the possible spread of Covid-19, it led to criticism from the dealers.
In 2019 alone, the country imported 184,555 tonnes of second-hand clothing with an estimated value of KSh17.8 billion, according to official data.
It was one of the country’s top 20 imports, indicating how its valued in the country.
At the time of the ban on its imports in 2019, Ms Teresia Njenga, the chairperson of the Mitumba Association of Kenya said there was no scientific evidence that showed that its imports posed public health risk.
“The latest scientific advice indicates that the importation of second-hand garments and shoes into Kenya poses no credible public health risk,” she said then.
This is because the goods are shipped “for 45 days on average” and in “sealed containers,” she told reporters in July 2020.
“The scientific evidence concludes that the Covid-19 virus cannot survive on an inanimate object for more than nine days. Additionally, in the period since March, the World Health Organization has not prohibited the movement of goods or commodities as a measure to contain the spread of Covid-19,” Ms Njenga said.
