Used clothing ban in Uganda - 13th December 2023

A new decision by Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, could mean the end of used clothing for Uganda. He's hoping to stop importing secondhand clothes from abroad.

Importing secondhand clothing is big business in Uganda. It's a country where one in three people - 16 million people - regularly buy these items. That's exactly why President Museveni would like to change people's habits. Switching to new clothing is what's necessary, according to government minister David Bahati.

David Bahati: "And this is the focus that our country, that His Excellency the President, President Museveni says this must be sorted, because Ugandans need to put on new clothings."

For many years, Uganda has produced cotton. While most of it's sold on the international market, Bahati believes the cotton can be used for Uganda's own clothes industry.

David Bahati: "We have cotton. We can produce all these things that we're talking about in the secondhand market, here in Uganda. And we have companies that have started producing."

News of this possible change is worrying sellers, such as those in Owino market, Kampala. This is the centre of Uganda's secondhand clothing business, where they've been selling since 1971.

Shop owner Peace Mackline's afraid of losing her job.

Peace Mackline: "So if they come and ban us, number one we are going to lose our jobs. Sustaining our families is going to be very difficult."

Meanwhile, customers who choose secondhand clothes due to the price but also the quality, are upset as well.

Grace Nakytende: "They are cheap, people easily can make, can get them at a cheaper prices. Every, every person can buy cheap clothes, better than these new shoe, these new clothes."

The World Bank says 30 percent of Ugandans have difficult lives because of extremely low salaries. So it's highly likely that this decision will be fought.