Nairobi — Deputy President William Ruto has promised to make the mitumba traders investors in the clothing industry under his government.

While taking his bottom-up campaigns to Mandera on Wednesday, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) presidential candidate said this will help revive the collapsing textile industry in the country.

This comes after the unveiling of the Azimio- One Kenya coalition party manifesto on Monday by the party's flagbearer Raila Odinga where he promised to ensure those importing mitumba will get the goods that will be manufactured locally.

"The government of Kenya through the bottom-up model in partnership with the TVETs will help in running your business and we will help you to be the investors in the clothing industry in Kenya. You will run the textile industry as well and make designer clothes, nobody will kill your business," said Ruto.

On the other hand, Odinga attributed the collapse of the local textile industries to the importation of mitumba instead of making use of the locally available resources.

He promised to ensure the whole process is done locally instead of people wearing clothes worn by dead people.

"We are going to go to primary production so that our people who are importing mitumba can have a good product to sell here. I am saying that we are not moving anybody out of business. We will ensure those who are importing Mitumba get the firsthand to market goods which are going to be manufactured here," he stated.

Odinga's statement has been interpreted by leaders allied to the DP as a way of killing the mitumba business which is mostly done by the "hustlers" and they have strongly condemned it.

Ruto promoted his hustler narrative promising the residents that he will also focus on other economic sectors of the county.

"I have sat with the leaders and all the stakeholders of Mandera county, and we have agreed that we must invest in agriculture and livestock keeping here in Mandera County," stated Ruto.