Second-hand clothes awaiting unpacking. [photo/ commatterskenya.com]
Kenya used Sh 6.6 billion on the importation of the second-hand clothes during the first half of 2017.
According to the official data released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the import of second-hand clothes ' Mitumba ' grew by 8.2 percent from the Sh 6.1 billion recorded in the similar period last year.
Majority of Kenyans prefer mitumba over the high-quality clothes due to their cheap prices owing to the sharp rise on the importation of the second-hand clothes.
The data also shows an increased volume of the mitumba imports from 62,158 tonnes made in the first half of last year to 69,862 tonnes recorded at first half of this year.
The sharp growth in the importation of mitumba over the last two years has led to the decline in Kenya's cotton industry with Kenyan textile exports dropping to Sh1.8 billion in the first half of 2017 as compared to the Sh 2.6 billion obtained at a similar period last year.
In 2015, the East African Community (EAC) heads agreed to start drafting regulations that would see a joint restriction on importation second-hand clothes and shoes as a measure to protect local textile manufacturers but the move was hindered after the Kenyan government made a U-turn on the deal following the cries by traders.