Local fashion designers want second-hand clothes imports regulated

Kisumu residents buy second hand clothes commonly known as mitumba at Kibuye market. The mitumba business is booming in the market due to their high demand as traders sell them at a relative low price compared to the shops. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

Local fashion designers have cited the unregulated importation of second-hand clothes, popularly known as mitumba, as the biggest threat to the industry.

According to a new study on the current state of the fashion industry, players said besides the current Covid-19 pandemic, the mitumba trade remains an existential threat to their businesses.