Trade, investment and industry CS Moses Kuria has said Kenya will ban the importation of secondhand clothes, popularly known as mitumba, once plans to give the people affordable alternative is in place.
Speaking during the Changamka Shopping Festival at KICC on Tuesday, Kuria said his ministry will first work to get an alternative before the ban.
"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 said.
The CS said the decision was driven by the price of the clothes, dismissing the belief that they are cheap.
"The price we are selling clothes to America is much lower than mitumba, so it is not a question of the price it is a question of availability," the CS added.
The move is expected to boost the local textile market.
The remarks come months after the Kenya Kwanza camp criticized Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance leader Raila Odinga for saying he was going to end the importation of mitumba.
While launching his manifesto for the August 9 general elections, Raila pitched the plan to support locally produced clothes.
"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," he said.
The Kenya Kwanza fiercely opposed the plan and promised mitumba that they will protect their businesses.
