Gikomba in Nairobi is just one of many huge markets dedicated to worn clothing in East Africa

Efforts by East African countries to curb the importation of second-hand clothes, commonly known as mitumba, have largely failed due to economic pressure, consumer demand, and limited local manufacturing capacity, according to a BBC report.

Nearly a decade ago, members of the East African Community (EAC) announced plans to impose high tariffs and eventually ban imports of used clothes in a bid to protect and grow local textile industries. The bloc, which includes Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan, argued that cheap imported garments from Europe, the United States, and China were undermining domestic fashion businesses.

However, the proposed ban collapsed after strong opposition from the United States, which warned that the move violated trade agreements and threatened to remove EAC countries from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade arrangement that allows African countries to export goods duty-free to the US market.

According to the BBC, all EAC member states except Rwanda withdrew support for the ban following the US ultimatum. Rwanda proceeded with higher taxes on used clothing imports and was later hit with a 30 percent tariff on clothing exports to the US.

The report noted that second-hand clothing remains deeply popular across East Africa because of affordability and quality. In Kenya, imports of used clothing rose by 76 percent between 2013 and 2022, making the country Africa’s largest importer of mitumba.

Many consumers say second-hand clothes are more durable and affordable than locally made garments. “Most of the clothes have good quality… they last long,” a shopper at Tanzania’s Ilala market told the BBC. Another customer said he preferred second-hand clothes because “they look unique.”

The industry also supports millions of livelihoods. Research commissioned by the Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya estimates that up to 4.9 million people across East Africa depend on the trade for work, including importers, traders, tailors, transporters, and food vendors operating in large open-air markets.

Despite this, critics argue that the industry limits industrial growth. “Retail is the most limited form of job creation you can have in an economic sector, versus production, marketing and distribution,” King’s College London academic Dr Andrew Brooks told the BBC.

The report further explained that East Africa’s textile industry is still not strong enough to replace imported clothes. Ugandan designer Joel Okalany said the region lacks modern manufacturing capacity and is not yet ready to phase out mitumba completely.

Even Rwanda, which took the toughest stance against second-hand clothing imports, later acknowledged gaps in its domestic textile production and delayed plans for a total ban.

Another challenge highlighted in the BBC report is the growing influx of cheap new clothes from countries such as China and Turkey, which both local manufacturers and mitumba traders say is a bigger threat to their businesses.

Environmental concerns have also fueled the debate. Activists say a large portion of imported used clothing ends up as waste in African landfills because many items are too damaged or low-quality to be reused. However, mitumba traders argue that reusing clothing helps reduce environmental waste globally.

The BBC report concluded that many experts now believe second-hand clothing and local textile production may need to coexist until East African countries develop stronger manufacturing industries capable of meeting consumer demand.