Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga has maintained that he will not ban the importation and selling of mitumba clothes in the country, should he be elected in August.
Raila who met stakeholders in the mitumba industry on Friday, said there should be no cause for alarm.
He added that pushing to have mitumba traders given first priority in the sale of locally made clothes doesn't mean he plans to do away with the business.
"Azimio government will work with traders to ensure the cartels that thrive in the market through the back door are dealt with," Raila said.
The traders told the former Prime minister that they depend on mitumba for their livelihood and those of their families, hence fearing what would happen if it were banned.
Raila stated that his government will cancel all titles deeds on Gikomba land being held by private individuals and restore the market back to the traders.
The Azimio presidential candidate made the clarification about about the mitumba sector after his remarks on mitumba clothes caused an uproar on social media a few weeks ago.
While unveiling his manifesto at Nyayo Stadium, the ODM leader remarked that mitumba clothes worn by Kenyans could, in fact, have been worn by people who are already dead.
“Our people are only wearing clothes coming from outside the country already worn by people who are dead," Raila had said.
Raila refuted the claims that he wants to shut the mitumba industry saying he was misunderstood and taken out of context.
"We are going to go to primary production so that our people who are importing mitumba can have good products to sell here."
