Raila Clarifies Mitumba Statement After Public Uproar

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during the launch of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party manifesto at Nyayo Stadium on June 6, 2022.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during the launch of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party manifesto at Nyayo Stadium on June 6, 2022.
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Sabina Chege

Former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, has stated that his statements on Monday night, June 6, regarding the mitumba business sector were misunderstood and taken out of context.

Speaking at a business forum in Nairobi county on Tuesday, June 7, the Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate reaffirmed that he respected the mitumba sector noting that it had employed millions of Kenyans.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party boss hit out at his opponents for taking advantage of the public uproar that emerged after his statement noting that it was propaganda.

A file image of traders at Gikomba market.
A file image of traders at Gikomba market.
File

Further, he promised that his administration would empower the business sector to ensure that those who rely on it were not pushed out of business.

"Mitumba is not a dead-end business and it has created employment for so many of our people. I am defending them and there are people who are bringing propaganda to say that Raila is going to kill the sector. No, that is not the case," he clarified.

During the launch of the Azimio manifesto at Nyayo stadium on Monday, June 6, Raila noted that the mitumba business had led to the decline of the textile industry in Kenya.

He stated that he would reform the manufacturing sector to reduce the intake of mitumba in the country and promote clothes made in Kenya.

"We are going to primary production so that our people who are importing mitumba can have good products to sell here. I am saying we are not moving anybody out of business, we will ensure that those who are importing mitumba get the first hand to market goods that are going to be manufactured here in this country.

"Mitumba killed all our sectoral industry. Our people are only wearing clothes coming from outside the country which have been worn by people who are dead," he stated.

However, his statements did not sit well with a section of Kenyans who criticised the ODM boss for overlooking a sector that had created employment for many youths.

"Mitumba employs 2 million Kenyans, mitumba pays Ksh18 billion in taxes and 91.5 per cent of Kenyan households buy second-hand clothes," digital strategist Dennis Itumbi stated.

Nonetheless, other Kenyans supported Raila stating that Kenya's manufacturing industry needed to be reformed through policies to support the country's economy.

"Mitumba will be a thing of the past in a Vision 2030 country. What I do not get is how Kenyans want to change by staying the same," Seth Odongo alias Dikembe Disembe tweeted.

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