Clothes stores such as H&M, M&S, Gap, Debenhams, Next, New Look, Dorothy Perkins, Top shop, Oasis, Vero Moda and Banana Republic which are popular in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe are not operational in Kenya. However, clothes from these stores have found their way to Kenya as used clothes. Most of these clothes are still in perfect condition and good enough for daily use.

Kenyan entrepreneurs purchase and import used clothes from USA, UK and other parts of Europe in large quantities. These clothes are sorted into different categories such as sportswear, knitwear and children’s wear then packed in bales and shipped to the coastal city of Mombasa in Kenya.

From Mombasa, these bales are transported to Gikomba market (the biggest second-hand clothing exchange in East Africa) in Nairobi where wholesalers sell the same to retailers. It is the retailers who unpack the clothes, sort them and resell them at a profit. Other markets where wholesalers and retailers trade in Nairobi include Toi, Ngara and Muthurwa.

Mitumba originally referred to used clothes but today it includes everything from clothes to shoes, bags, toys, books and kitchen utensils. Huge markets have sprouted in Nairobi where vendors buy selected items when bales are first opened, and sell them in stalls and shops elsewhere.

Adam’s Arcade market is one of the areas that have developed into a popular second-hand clothes market. It draws customers from all parts of the city and the vendors at the market specialize in different type of clothing such as shoes, shirts, children’s clothes, belts, hats etc and focus on a niche market like ladies, gents and children.

It’s easy to see how mitumba is benefiting hundreds of young people in Kenya who have found it impossible to secure formal jobs in offices. Rather than languish in poverty, these traders have found a way to earn a living and live comfortable lives.

The trade provides hundreds of jobs for all the people involved in it. Those who transport, unpack, sell, repair, wash and iron these used clothes all benefit from the trade.

Finally, the second-hand clothing trade also offers consumers a large variety to choose from. Regardless of the consumers’ income levels, by providing a wider selection, quality, and style of clothes in contrast to the expensive and limited choice available in retail outlets, everyone is assured of getting something that will take their fancy. Second-hand clothes appeal to income earners at all levels.

However, the mitumba trade has not been without struggles. Simon Macharia, a trader at the Adam’s Arcade Market cited his struggles with the Nairobi City Council police and the high rates of daily tax they have to pay in order to have a space to sell their goods. Other traders complained that the bales they have been receiving lately are filled with clothes in poor conditions: torn, missing buttons or even too old to be resold.

While many people have benefited from the trade earning a decent living and staying away from petty crime, there is a group of disgruntled Kenyans. Traders who sell new imported clothes from all over the world are disappointed by the fact that they no longer have customers as most Kenyans now opt for the cheaper second-hand clothes.

The used clothes are sent to Kenya as donations to poor and impoverished communities but they end up being resold at a profit. In the long run a lot of people benefit from the trade, but the losers are those for whom the clothes were originally intended who never receive them.