Trade, Investment and Industry Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has hinted at the government banning second hand clothes popularly known as Mitumba.
Speaking at Changamka Shopping Festival the newly appointed CS, and a former lawmaker said they focus will be on empowering the local textile industry.
Kuria stated that the notion that Mitumba clothes are cheap is misguided. He pointed out that Kenya exports clothes to US at a cheaper price than Mitumba.
“I will work with the textile industry to ensure that we make cheaper clothes available in this market, and then we will ban Mitumba when we give people an alternative,” he stated.
“The price we are selling to clothes to America is much lower than Mitumba so it is not a question of price it is a question of availability,” he said.
Kuria's sentiments come at a surprise because he opposed the same move when it was proposed by Azimio Leader Raila Odinga in the run up to the August elections.
Odinga, while unveiling his manifesto, promised to ban mitumba to empower local textile industries, sparking condemnation from William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza wing.
The Azimio leader while launching his manifesto said, “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.
The former Gatundu member of parliament was irked and said that Raila was out to kill small scale business people in Kenya.
In a show of solidarity with Mitumba sellers, Kuria did a campaign tour in Gikomba where he shopped and promised the sellers that Kenya Kwanza will protect their businesses.
The vocal legislator bought a bra and under garments in Gikomba as he interacted with the traders.
Ruto, then a presidential candidate, also castigated Odinga at that time accusing him of wanting to kill Mitumba industry.
Ruto then convened a meeting with Mitumba sellers at his former Karen residence and assured them of Kenya Kwanza support
