23 April 2007, By
Evans Wafula Nairobi, Kenya. Kenya, one of the worlds leading exporter of textile and garment, has become an importing country of cheap and second hand clothing commonly known as Mitumba, The industry is beset by sagging sales and lack of an anti damping policy.
The Kenyan fashion market has been dominated by cheap imports of foreign brands, whether produced by local manufacturers or imported. The market is facing a monopoly of cheap textile products from Southeast Asian countries, Middle East, Europe and the United States at a time when local textile industries and garment makers are on the verge of total bankruptcy caused by unmonitored transshipment of cheap products and dumping.
Public criticism over excessive consumption of imports of cheap motor vehicle over the past few years has apparently contributed to reducing imports, but there has been a sharp rise in the importation of second hand clothes from Europe and the United States since late last year. "The market share of imported goods is tremendous as
local clothing makers are bent on imitation instead of trying to maintain and preserve originality, as this involves greater risks", a leading industrialists and Chief Executive of HACO Industries, Chris Kirubi said.
Many locally reputed designers, however, have revoked their contracts on the use of trademarks in a move for direct marketing. One such company is OJ Kriss designers of Nairobi. Figures compiled by analyst's show that imports of woven garments rose 60 per cent in the first three months of the year from the previous year, while that of knitted products increased 70.5 percent.
In 2006, imports of clothes nearly doubled and the figure increased 46 percent to the previous year. There have been signs of a sharp rise for this year also. The Chairman of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers says that such a rise is attributed to a deluge of cheap products from China and Southeast Asian countries. In the past, top class clothes from France, Italy and Britain had taken up the largest market share in the garment import market.
The shipment of cheap clothes is now takings over, dealing a server blow to small-and medium size garment makers who have posted a growing number of bankruptcies in recent years. Kenya, through the AGOA has continued to export an increasingly high volume of textile to the United States, a whooping 300 per cent rise from its local consumption. Local garment makers are now bringing in more and more products made by their offshoots in Southeast Asian countries and China, causing an increase in importation of substandard products.
Recently, Kenyan local markets penetrated to the region taking advantage of the East Africa cooperation to advance their products and afford cheap labor. The firms are importing products from their overseas plants, as this is limited in the COMESA region. "Such imports from China and Southeast Asian countries are expected to increase if the government fails to regulate the market", says Mr. David Githere, Chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The market share of high fashioned clothing imported from Italy, France and other advance countries has reduced drastically. The reality is that about 5 billion worthy of foreign garments were imported in last one year, making up 5 per cent of Kenyan apparel market scale.
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