As the year concludes, the Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya (MCAK), the leading body representing second-hand clothing traders in the country, is escalating its fight against what it calls “misinformation” surrounding the industry.
MCAK is urging global policymakers to embrace evidence-based research and data, particularly as new regulations threaten the livelihoods of millions who rely on the trade.
The year has marked MCAK’s most active international campaign yet. Chairperson Teresia Wairimu Njenga has crisscrossed the globe, engaging policymakers across the European Union, the United Kingdom, Ghana, and the United States.
During these meetings, Njenga says she consistently heard concerns from textile collectors, sorters, upcyclers, and recyclers. These stakeholders say they face mounting costs and regulations that threaten their financial viability and their ability to compete with the fast fashion industry.
At the heart of the matter is the growing trend of global policy shifts, with the EU at the forefront of designing new regulations for international textile supply chains. These policies, which will have a significant impact on the economies and livelihoods of countries in the Global South, including Kenya, will affect an industry that employs an estimated two million traders in Kenya and provides clothing for 6.2 million households.
“The stakes are very high for us,” Njenga told this publication during a recent interview. “Policies need to be based on facts, not misinformation.”
MCAK has been particularly vocal against a widely cited figure that suggests 40% of imported second-hand clothes are waste. This number, the organization argues, is flawed and not supported by recent studies from Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda which MCAK has supported. These studies suggest that less than 5% of second-hand clothing imports end up as waste. According to MCAK, the misinformation is propagated by campaigns and advocacy groups sponsored by fast fashion giants like Shein which stand to gain from the collapse of the second-hand trade.
The crux of MCAK’s argument is that the industry is not the primary driver of textile waste issues. Instead, it serves as a sustainable solution by extending the life cycle of clothing. MCAK advocates for policies that tackle broader issues, such as localized waste management and recycling, as well as the overproduction of fast fashion.
“This year’s campaign has been our most successful yet, taking Kenya’s second-hand trade to the global stage,” Njenga stated in a press release. “Second-hand clothes are part of the solution to textile overproduction, not the problem. They are vital to countries like Kenya and Ghana and are the epitome of the circular economy. Studies show over 95% of imported second-hand clothes are not waste. Yet operators are facing punitive taxes and regulations that threaten decades of sustainable practices.”
MCAK’s calls come at a critical time. With the EU’s mandatory textile collection initiative set to begin in 2025, the organization is urging policymakers to support reuse, collection, sorting, upcycling, and recycling, and to focus their regulatory efforts on new clothing producers rather than those operating within the circular economy.
“Policymakers must not fall for misinformation funded by those who would benefit from the collapse of this trade: fast fashion,” Njenga added.
By demonizing our industry, presenting second-hand clothing as the villain, policymakers risk pouring petrol on the fire of global textile pollution.
MCAK is the largest umbrella organization representing stakeholders in the mitumba trade in Kenya. “Mitumba” is the Swahili term for second-hand clothing. The consortium’s advocacy efforts this year highlight the critical intersection of global trade, policy, and the environment, as the world grapples with how to create a more sustainable and equitable fashion industry.
