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Trade between the two countries has evolved over years, from the pre-Kenya independent era; the colonial era when Kenya was ruled by the British Empire, and the Cold War era, into modern-day trade.
Dealers in second-hand clothes (mitumba) in Kenya want the government to introduce sorting centres, saying such facilities would allow the country to export clothing to high-demand markets in the US and Europe.
The sector launched a report on Thursday that shows that Kenya is well-positioned geographically to act as a global hub linking other markets throughout Africa to the US, and Europe.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that 49,176 tonnes of second-hand clothes were imported into the country in the third quarter of last year compared to 13,334 tonnes in 2020.
The think tank put the average spending on new clothes per household at Sh450 compared to Sh280 for mitumba, which is common with poor households, according to Kneyan media reports.