Raila Hits Back at Ruto Over Mitumba Rage

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Tuesday, June 7, 2022 –Ex-Prime Minister Raila Odinga has clarified his controversial Mitumba remarks which had since created a lot of confusion around the country.

Addressing a business forum in Nairobi on Tuesday June 7, the Azimio leader said his remarks had been taken out of context by those who thrive in propaganda for political reasons.

He hit out at his opponents whom he described as people who thrive well in malice to earn points for their own political reasons.

“Mitumba is not a dead-end business and it has created employment for so many of our people. I am defending them and there are people who are bringing propaganda to say that Raila is going to kill the sector. No, that is not the case,” he clarified.

Odinga, yesterday Monday June 6, while launching his manifesto, mentioned how he will support local manufacturing, a statement that was quickly picked by Kenya Kwanza supporters to mean killing second hand cloth trade in the country.

“We are going to primary production so that our people who are importing mitumba can have good products to sell here. I am saying we are not moving anybody out of business, we will ensure that those who are importing mitumba get the first hand to market goods that are going to be manufactured here in this country.

“Mitumba killed all our sectorial industry. Our people are only wearing clothes coming from outside the country which have been worn by people who are dead,” Raila stated.

And reacting on the remarks, Ruto-allied bloggers and politicians argued that Odinga was openly threatening to bring down all the poor people so that only the elites can remain standing.

“What does Hon Raila and Azimio have against poor down trodden 45 million Kenyans? Why do they hate the poor? Why do they see as bad omen to be sons or daughters of poor Kenyans from rural Kenya? Why do they want to criminalise wearing Mitumba?” Lawyer Ahmednasir charged.

On the other hand, DP William Ruto took issue with the former premier saying it was wrong for leaders seeking power to threaten struggling traders instead of supporting them.

“Trickle down is dangerous. They branded business people’s merchandise counterfeit & destroyed them. Now clothing enterprises are dealers in dead-people’s wares to be banned. BOTTOM UP, using TVET will assist these enterprises grow from sewing, cottage to textile & leather industry,” he said.

Ruto is thriving on his Bottom Up economic model to lure young, poor men and women around the country to vote him into power on August 9.