This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
Published on July 6, 2020, the ban on secondhand clothes and footwear was imposed by the Ministry of Trade, Industrialization and Enterprise Development as a temporary measure to curb the spread of Covid-19.
However, the Mitumba Association, led by chairperson Bishop Teresia Wairimu, has urged the government to lift the ban, citing the significant economic impact it has had on the sector.
The association has proposed a set of comprehensive business protocols to guide the continued importation and trading of mitumba in the country, which are in tandem with similar guidelines issued by the Ministry.
According to Bishop Wairimu, the protocols will add a layer of extra health measures for the importation of mitumba at the country of origin and upon arrival, including additional disinfection and fumigation.
She emphasized that the mitumba sector employs approximately 2 million people, both directly and indirectly, and that the ban has interrupted the supply of their wares, despite the continued and steady demand for affordable clothes and footwear by Kenyans facing economic hardships.
“We believe that we have reached a balanced stage where measures to save lives and livelihoods have been taken and the time to rescind the ban on secondhand clothes is here,” Bishop Wairimu said.
