Used clothing from the West is a big seller in East Africa. Uganda’s leader wants a ban

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA
Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — 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. But, despite their popularity, secondhand clothes are facing increasing pushback. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni declared in August that he was banning imports of used clothing, saying the items are coming “from dead people.” His order is yet to be enforced, with dealers in secondhand clothing saying they cannot countenance such an embargo.