‘Where is our future’: Uganda declares war on used clothing

By AFP For nearly three decades, the chaotic, overcrowded Owino secondhand market in Uganda’s capital has been the cornerstone of Hadija Nakimuli’s life, helping the widowed shopkeeper build a house and raise 12 children. But a potential government ban on the sale of used clothing threatens to sever this crucial lifeline for Nakimuli and tens of thousands of vendors like her. “Where is our future if they stop secondhand clothes?” the 62-year-old asked, rummaging through her stash of underwear, dresses, shoes and bags. Established in 1971, the sprawling market employs some 80,000 people, 70 percent of them women, according to Kampala city authorities. “Other than students, my clients include ministers (and) members of parliament who call me to deliver clothes […]