Trade and Industrialization Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria has warned Kenyan traders against repackaging imported goods.
Speaking during the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Changamka Shopping Festival on Tuesday, November 1, the CS said local traders are doing so to evade paying taxes.
Kuria asked local manufacturers to source raw materials locally and focus on improving quality of their products.
“They repackage imported products to look like locally manufactured goods. I warn those who engage in such practices
“Local manufacturers should focus on ensuring value creation and addition so that we can be self-reliant as a country. Source local raw materials and improve your market competitiveness to serve both the local and international markets,” said Kuria.
At the same time, Kuria said the government will ban importation of second-hand clothes once they find an alternative from the local textile industry.
He insisted that ministry is focused on empowering the local textile industry.
“Whatever is required for us to sell to our people the same way we are selling to America, we will do. Once the option is available we will do like South Africa. South Africa banned mitumba. I’m sure you want me to say that we are going to ban mitumba, Yes, we will ban mitumba once we give people an alternative and then we ban it
“The price we are selling to America is much lower than Mitumba. It’s not a question of price, it’s a question of availability, and it’s a question of information. I will work with the textile industry and make sure that first we make the cheaper clothes available in this market,” the CS.