Traders splashed nearly Sh5.39 billion on importation of footwear and second-hand clothes in the first three months of the year, official data shows, a growth of Sh366.30 million over a year earlier.
The 7.29 percent growth signals elevated demand for imported footwear and second-hand clothes despite renewed focus on growing struggling domestic leather and textiles industries under the ‘Big Four’ plan.
The import bill for second-hand clothes, popularly called mitumba, grew by Sh327.9 million or 8.76 percent in the January-March period of 2019 to Sh4.07 billion compared with Sh3.74 billion in similar period of 2018. This is a further growth compared to Sh3.28 billion recorded in 2017, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) figures show.
Quality and relatively lower prices of mitumba continue to drive demand for the merchandise at the expense of locally-made wear amid higher margins for traders. Leather, textiles and agro-processing are seen as low-hanging ‘Big Four’ agenda.
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