Ruto, Raila trade barbs over mitumba business

United Democratic Alliance presidential candidate William Ruto has criticised Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga for proposing the ban on mitumba clothes to allow local textile industries to grow.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Ruto said Raila had branded clothing enterprises as dealers in dead people’s wares.

“Trickle down is dangerous. They branded business people’s merchandise counterfeit & destroyed them. Now clothing enterprises are dealers in dead people’s wares to be banned.

“Bottom-up, using TVET will assist these enterprises to grow from sewing, cottage to textile and leather industry,” the Deputy President wrote.

In a quick rejoinder, Raila responded by saying Ruto had proposed the same thing at a rally in Kamukunji on Saturday, June 4. ‘

“Ambieni wale majamaa (tell those guys), the internet never forgets,” Raila wrote in response to Ruto’s tweet.

Raila’s manifesto

While unveiling his manifesto on Monday, June 6, Raila said his government will ban the importation of used clothes to allow local textile industries to thrive and local traders to sell new clothes made in Kenya.

“Our people are only wearing clothes coming from outside the country which has been worn by people who are dead.

“We are going to go to primary production so that our people who are importing mitumba can have good products to sell here,” the ODM leader said.