Ugandan President Bans Second-Hand Clothes and Electricity Imports to Boost Manufacturing Sector.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has taken a significant step to promote local industries by prohibiting the importation of second-hand clothes as well as electricity meters and cables. The move aims to stimulate job creation and bolster Uganda’s manufacturing sector, particularly its textile industry.
In a strong statement, President Museveni highlighted the need to shift away from relying on used clothing. He remarked, “Stop buying second-hand clothes, these clothes are for dead people. When (whites) they die, they organise the clothes and bring them to Africa,” as reported by the privately owned daily Daily Monitor.
This decision was announced during the inauguration of ten factories in the town of Mbale, located in eastern Uganda. These factories, established with the collaboration of Chinese investors, are part of the Sino-Uganda Industrial Park project, a joint initiative between the Ugandan government and Chinese investors.
It’s worth noting that neighboring Rwanda successfully implemented a similar ban on second-hand clothing imports back in 2018. This move is in line with broader efforts across East African countries to gradually phase out the importation of used clothing and encourage domestic production.
