The Owino Market in Uganda's capital has long been a go-to enclave for rich and poor people alike looking for affordable but quality-made used clothes, underscoring perceptions that Western fashion is superior to what is made at home
Walusimbi Tadewo, seller of secondhand clothes speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, at Owino market in Kampala, Uganda. Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. Downtown Kampala’s Owino Market has long been a go-to enclave for rich and poor people alike looking for affordable but quality-made used clothes, underscoring perceptions that Western fashion is superior to what is made at home. But, despite their popularity, secondhand clothes are facing increasing pushback.
Despite the popularity, secondhand clothes are facing increasing pushback. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, a semi-authoritarian leader who has held power since 1986, declared in August that he was banning imports of used clothing, saying the items are coming “from dead people.”Trade authorities have not yet enforced the president’s order, which needs to be backed by a legal measure such as an executive order.
The clothes are cheap and drop further in price as traders make room for new shipments: a pair of denim jeans can go for 20 cents, a cashmere scarf for even less. Kalungi likes to visit on clearance days when he can buy clothes for a fraction of a dollar. Then he sells them at a profit. Some Ugandan apparel makers, like Winfred Arinaitwe, acknowledge that the quality of locally made fabric is often poor. Not surprisingly, many people would rather buy used clothing, she said.In Owino Market, a ban on used clothes is inconceivable to many, including some who say they don't think the president’s threat was serious.
Ssuuna approaches people in Owino Market to urge them to visit the stall where his brother sells used jeans. The market is aggressively competitive, with merchants sitting behind heaps of clothes and shouting words of welcome to possible customers.
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