The Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya has today come out in arms defending the business of second-hand clothes in the country which is also known as Mitumba.
The association through its chairperson Teresia Wairimu Njenga in a statement said the business employed at least two million Kenyans and paid a tax of at least Sh 15 billion annually to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
This comes in the backdrop of Presidential candidates William Ruto and Raila Odinga saying that they would ban the importation of second-hand clothes for selling, at the expense of local textile factories.
“Two million Kenyans are employed by this trade, and there are several millions of Kenyans who don the mitumba clothes. We also take note of previous sentiments made by Deputy President William Ruto and recent remarks by Raila Odinga vowing to bring to an end the importation of second-hand clothes in Kenya under their presidency. The statements are sufficient grounds for concern,” Wairimu told Media Guru.
He added: “The second-hand clothing industry promotes environmentally responsible consumption and contributes significantly to the Kenyan economy. In 2019, mitumba trade paid in excess of Sh15 billion to the exchequer in taxes and duty.”
