COVID-19: Mombasa County orders closure of all mitumba businesses

Bales of second-hand clothes. COURTESY: Daily Nation

The Mombasa County government on Monday announced the immediate closure of all second-hand clothes (mitumba) businesses in the region until further notice.

The order was one of four others revealed in a statement from the county’s Emergency Response COVID-19 Committee signed by Governor Hassan Joho and County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo.

The national government and the Kenya Bureau of Standards had already made similar pronouncements that Kenya will not accept garments from countries experiencing the pandemic.

The mitumba business is very profitable and has been blamed for the collapse of the local textile industry.

The other measures include the introduction of water rationing to redirect water lines to households, informal settlements and hospitals. Additionally, Export Processing Zones (EPZs) are to reduce the number of staff reporting for duty and strictly adhere to set out national and county government regulations.

The statement further warned violators of the regulations that they face prosecution.

Mombasa, which has two confirmed COVID-19 cases, had previously imposed measures to prevent the spread of the virus. These included the suspension of all prayer gatherings, the closure of the wholesale section of Kongowea market and social and entertainment places.

Source(s): Mombasa County government