Mivumba clothes comment by Odinga riles up Kenyans
Two days after Kenyan presidential candidate Raila Odinga described second-hand clothes as clothing “worn by dead people”, the hashtag #DeadPeopleClothingChallenge is trending.
It involves people posting photos of themselves in second-hand clothes, known in Kenya as “mitumba”.
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Many of these comments come from supporters of Mr Odinga’s main rival William Ruto, who has criticised the plan.
Mr Odinga made the remarks on the campaign trail, promising that he would boost the local textile production if elected. The importation of second-hand clothing has been blamed for the collapse of once-vibrant textile industries on the continent.
The hashtag #Gikomba is also trending - this is the name of Kenya’s largest open-air market where traders sell used clothes. Many tweeters are asking if any thought has been given to these young entrepreneurs and their livelihoods.
However those in support of Mr Odinga are behind another trending hashtag - #MadeInKenya - saying people should promote local produce like potatoes, which was the subject of a furore earlier in the year when KFC said it wasn’t able to offer chips as it could not import its preferred pre-sliced potatoes from Egypt.
Source: BBC
