Kenya's second-hand clothing imports surged 268% in the third quarter of last year after the government lifted restrictions aimed at curbing Covid-19 transmission, according to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
The KNBS reported 49,176 tonnes of used textiles entered the country between July and September 2021, compared to 13,334 tonnes in the same period in 2020. This marked a significant increase from the 45,659 tonnes imported in 2019 before the pandemic, with the value of imports reaching Sh5.1 billion—nearly four times the Sh1.4 billion recorded in 2020.
A trader who declined to be named noted that rising container costs nearly doubled importation expenses despite the rebound. The surge followed a March 2020 ban on used clothing and shoes imposed by then-Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina, which disrupted markets like Gikomba and Toi in Nairobi.
The government lifted the restriction on August 26, 2020, introducing new protocols requiring physical inspections and fumigation certificates for all imported textiles. Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) Managing Director Bernard Njiraini stated the measures aligned with standards prohibiting imports from epidemic-affected countries.
Traders criticized the ban as an attempt to dismantle a sector employing millions. In 2019, 37% of used clothes came from China, with total imports valued at Sh8.8 billion—double the 2014 figure. The sector supports two million direct traders and three million related businesses, according to the Mitumba Association of Kenya.
