Why mitumba still dominates Kenya's clothing market

Kenya has emerged as a big importer of second-hand clothes, indicating a growing dependence on used, even as the local textile industry grapples with survival.

Data from the Economic Survey 2025 shows that Kenyan textile imports for 2024 were Sh60 billion compared to Mitumba’s Sh28 billion, providing affordable wear for a broad section of the population.

Additionally, the average household spends Sh409 per quarter on used clothing compared to Sh783 on new items, confirming the affordability gap Mitumba fills.

Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Economic Affairs Kwame Owino said the number of Kenyans purchasing second-hand clothes rose to 24.2 million last year.

“It is not true that the availability of used clothes is the cause for failures in domestic textile companies,” he said.

This, he said, has been driven largely by the affordability of items such as trousers, dresses, jackets, shoes, and household textiles.

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“Importers pay up to USD 15,000 before bringing in these goods. This isn’t dumping—it’s a regulated business. Majority of Kenyans are pushed to buying second-hand clothes,” he said.

In 2022, the traders imported 177,664 tonnes, generating Sh12 billion in government revenue and supporting livelihoods for an estimated 2 million people annually, majority being women, youth and informal traders.

Owino, while releasing the status report of the sector commissioned by the Mitumba Consortium in consultation with the Institute of Economic Affairs, discredited the narrative painting Kenya as a global dumping ground.

“The clothing and footwear supplied by the Mitumba industry are supplements rather than substitutes for apparel manufactured in Kenya. The two sectors complement each other in important ways,” said Owino, a sentiment echoed by Teresia Njenga, MCAK Chairperson.

“Today, we are not here to defend Mitumba. We are here to celebrate its role in Kenya’s economy and to prove that it can coexist with local manufacturing to create jobs, drive growth and keep Kenya fashionably ahead.”

She said there is a strong correlation between income growth and Mitumba consumption: for every 1 percent rise in income, there is a 12 percent rise in demand for used clothing.

“Used clothes and new clothes do not compete as they serve different market needs. They have distinct value chains, pricing models and consumers,” she added.

“Mitumba is also one of Kenya’s largest contributors to environmental sustainability as it extends the lifespan of clothing and reduces textile waste.”

The 2024 Tax Laws (Amendment) Act scrapped key import levies, including the Import Declaration Fee and the Railway Development Levy, making Mitumba imports even cheaper.

The move, however, sparked backlash from manufacturers and some officials in the Ministry of Trade, who alleged the amendments were slipped in without broad consultation.

However, local textile producer James Maina said the influx of cheap imports continues to erode their market share and weaken efforts to rebuild domestic production.

“We cannot compete with clothes that arrive here already worn, sorted, and sold at throwaway prices,” he lamented.

During the last general election, opposition leader Raila Odinga faced backlash for suggesting a local textile production. The comment was seized upon by rivals—including President William Ruto—who garnered support from Mitumba traders fearing a crackdown.

Despite government efforts to revive the sector—including revamping Rivatex East Africa in Eldoret and launching the National Cotton, Textile, and Apparel (CTA) Policy 2024—progress has been slow.

The policy outlines plans to boost cotton farming, establish textile value-addition centres in Nyando and Kieni, build and upgrade ginneries, and equip county industrial centres with tailoring facilities.