This is the reason why you may never be able to buy or wear ‘Mitumba’ (second hand clothes) clothes again in East Africa
The multibillion Mitumba Company is most probably going to face a hard time when the implementation of the ban on importation of used clothes and shoes is going to be effected. The decision was made by the heads of the East African Community in Nairobi.
The ban of Mitumba importation is a strategy towards boosting the local textile and leather industry. The council of ministers from the three states are to give a report on the progress of the procedures to be used to stop the importation of Mitumba and improve local textile industries during the next summit. The ministers are also tasked with study on how to promote vehicle assembly to help eradicate importation of second hand cars.
As the ban is going to be great news to the local textile industries, the poor who depend on cheap Mitumba are likely going to walk naked. This will be a second attempt after Minister Njeru Githae tried it in 2012.