Kenya is arguably one of the largest importers of mitumba (second hand clothes and shoes) in the region for the local market and export to other countries.
According to data released by the Institute of Economic Affairs, the industry contributes up to Ksh12 billion in revenue to the government.
The sector is a source of livelihood to over 2 million Kenyans. It is quite evident that if one is smart in this venture, they can reap a fortune out of it.
In this article, WoK takes a look Kenyans who started out as mitumba sellers and went on to own multi-million enterprises.
Patrick Mwangi
Patrick Mwangi famously known as Mwangi wa Mercedes is a renowned car dealer with several car yards in Mombasa and Nairobi. His journey began immediately after he cleared his secondary education at Laikipia Boys High School in 2005.
He moved from his hometown in Nyahururu and relocated to Thika where he started selling mitumba in a small kibanda near Thika stadium.
He used to source the mitumba clothes from Gikomba and sell them in Thika at a profit. He did the business for a year before he left for Malindi after getting a job as a driver.
He saved the little amount he was making from his job and when it amounted to Ksh 25,000, he quit the job and relocated to Mombasa where he started the mitumba business again.
He sourced the used clothes from Kongowea market and sold them along Moi Avenue in Mombasa. He did this thriving business for one year, enabling him to set up a fashion shop situated along Digo Road in 2013.
He ventured to yet another business of buying and selling of vehicles. He decided to try his luck in the lucrative business and the rest as they say is history. Mwangi is now one of the most trusted car dealers in the country dealing with exotic vehicles and has sold cars to a majority of the Kenyan celebrities.
Hudson Atichi
The story of businessman Hudson Atichi is one that celebrates the values of determination and sheer hard work. His journey began in 1999 after clearing his secondary school education at Esalwa Boys High School in Vihiga County.
He was brought up in a humble family living in Mwibona village, Luanda constituency and as a firstborn, Hudson knew that he had to work extremely hard to set a good example to his siblings and help his parents raise them.
He moved to Kisumu where he fortunately landed a job in a local primary school working as an untrained teacher and receiving a monthly stipend of Ksh 2,000. He did the job for almost two years before finally quitting to try his luck in the business world.
He used his little savings to start selling mitumba clothes in the famous Kibuye market in Kisumu city. He did the business for two years and made some good money which he used to start his next venture in the Jua Kali sector.
With the help of a bank loan, he invested Ksh60 million in a second-hand motor vehicle spare parts and scrap metals business.
The businessman was affected by the 2007 post election violence that forced him to close shop and move back to Luanda. He would then join the transport industry by first investing in the bodaboda business and later acquiring a fleet of matatus.
He currently owns over twelve matatus, a fleet of apartments in Luanda and Kisumu, vast pieces of lands and the famous Triple T hotel which was the first modern three-star hotel in Luanda town.
Nancy Wamaitha
Nancy Wamaitha’s story is one that depicts resilience, defying all odds and daring to follow her dreams. The business lady started her journey selling mitumba clothes in Nairobi and worked her way up to owning the famous Gateway Mall in Kamukunji.
During the official launch of the mall in 2nd June 2021, Deputy President William Ruto who was in attendance praised Nancy claiming that she is the true definition of a hustler.
“Opened the eight-storey Kamukunji Gateway Mall, whose proprietor began as a mitumba businesswoman and engaged local traders in Kamukunji, Nairobi county,” he wrote in a tweet.
Juma Khamis Mohammed
Juma Khamis Mohammed famously known as Jay is a man who has literally gone from grass to grace. He dropped out of secondary school while in form two due to lack of school fees but this didn’t stop him from chasing and achieving greatness.
Jay started hawking mitumba clothes in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD), a hustle that saw him arrested by overzealous city council enforcement officers commonly referred to as ‘Kanjo.’
He quit the venture and joined the events planning industry where he would identify people who wanted to hold an event and didn’t know how to go about it then come in by planning and supplying them with equipment.
Jay went on to register the business under the brand name Parrot Group. His big break came when the company was contracted by Orange (now Telkom) to promote their ‘Kaduda’ mobile phones.
He has worked with big corporates like Airtel Kenya and Stanbic Bank earning him a fortune. Today, Parrot Group is a conglomerate with three subsidiaries – Parrot Universal Sounds, Parrot Concepts Limited and Parrot Eye Marketing.
The company records an annual turnover of Ksh 70 million and holds assets worth more than Ksh 40 million.
Maggy Wahome
Maggy Wahome started off her journey as a cyber café attendant in Nakuru where she was earning a monthly salary of Ksh 10,000.
She would save Ksh 8,000 every month and by the end of the year she had made Ksh 100,000 which she used to open a stall near Nakuru bus station where she sold mitumba clothes.
She would source bales from Gikomba market then sell to other retailers. By 2015, the business was booming and she was making upto Ksh 300,000 a month and by 2019 she had made her first million.
The trader has since established a company that distributes bales to retailers from North Rift, South Rift, Laikipia and Nyandarua regions. Through the mitumba business, she has managed to buy a plot of land in Lanet and constructed a four bedroom maisonette. She also drives an Isuzu vehicle which she uses to transport bales to her customers.
