What I'll Do Instead Of Banning Mitumba- Moses Kuria

Trade, Industry and Investments Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria on Wednesday, November 2 dismissed reports hinting at President William Ruto's administration banning the importation of second-hand clothes, commonly known as ‘mitumba’.

Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV's Jeff Koinange, Kuria stated that his comments, which caused an uproar on Tuesday, November 1 across social media platforms, were taken out of context.

He insisted that he had no intention of imposing a ban on mitumba but rather come up with ways of increasing Kenya's manufacturing and textile industries.

Trade CS Moses Kuria speaking on Wednesday, November 2, 2022. /CITIZEN TV

"This is about media distortions when I was asked this question by a journalist the other day, I told him that he was only posing the query since he wanted to report that Moses Kuria is banning mitumba and I am glad that I got that on record," said the Trade CS.

"We were at a manufacturing event and I was trying to bring out that Kenya needs to take the issue of local manufacturing seriously. I had just come from South Africa where I  had a very good discussion with the Trade minister there and South Africa has actually banned the importation of second-hand clothes and their industry has shot up and  jobs have been created as a result."

According to him, he will make the industry less competitive than the manufacturing sector and textile industries whereby Kenyans will have the freedom to purchase locally-made clothing over second-hand clothes at a cheaper price.

He gave an example of countries such as Bangladesh that have employed millions of people in the textile industry over Kenya which has employed 50,000 people.

"Kenyan exporters sell them much cheaper than what is available here under Mitumba imports and my point is I don't need to ban mitumba and I will not ban mitumba, but I will make mitumba not competitive. I will make sure people are able to buy clothes made in Kenya at cheaper prices. So it is up to me to ensure nobody goes for mitumba and that it dies naturally.

"We in the textile industry in Kenya, have employed 50,000 people. Bangladesh, a country that we cannot call very advanced, has got 5 million people in the textile industry. By promoting manufacturing, I will create 5 million jobs within textiles and that will address our unemployment woes," he said.

Kuria added that he will have a consultative meeting with mitumba stakeholders to incorporate them into his plans to revolutionise the local manufacturing sector.

"I am going to meet people from the Mitumba industry. I will make them part of the value chain of locally manufactured clothes.

"I will get manufacturers and people who sell clothes and I will link them together and the same people selling mitumbas will sell the locally manufactured clothes so that everybody can win," said Kuria.

Notably, the subject of Mitumba led to a collision course between President Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during the campaign period.

“Our people are only wearing mitumba, clothes that are coming outside the country, that are 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, " said Raila, which prompted Ruto to accuse him of trying to kill the Mitumba industry.

The comments also rattled the former Gatundu South Member of Parliament, who went on a shopping spree in Gikomba and promised the sellers that Kenya Kwanza will protect their businesses.