Kenya’s second-hand clothing and footwear industry is a job creation engine, employing over 2 million people, which is 10% of the extended labour force of 20,641,175 people in Kenya.
Our Voices Matter,
Include Us.
Our Voices, in Our Own Words
Around the world, informal traders are central to the second-hand clothing economy, yet their experiences are rarely represented accurately in research, media narratives or policy discussions.
Too often, others speak on our behalf, shaping perceptions of the trade without listening to the people who understand it best. As a result, policies affecting traders’ businesses, incomes and communities are developed without their meaningful participation.
This page brings forward the voices of Kenya’s second-hand clothing traders. Through our traders' stories, we explore what the trade truly means to us —not only as a source of income, but as a pathway to economic mobility, affordable clothing and opportunity for millions of families.
By documenting traders’ experiences, challenges and contributions in their own words, MCAK aims to correct misrepresentation and ensure that policy is grounded in realities on the ground. Effective and inclusive policy must be developed with traders—not merely about them or imposed upon them.
