SHE MEANS BUSINESS| Don't compare local textiles with Eastleigh and mitumba products - Tejal Dodhia

This week on She Means Business, Tejal Dodhia, the Managing Director of Thika Cloth Mills, offered a rare and candid perspective on the realities of textile manufacturing in Kenya and the uncomfortable truths behind the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya agenda.

She challenges the widespread perception that locally manufactured textiles are expensive and uncompetitive, arguing that this narrative ignores the true cost of doing business in Kenya. Local manufacturers contend with multiple layers of taxation, high energy costs, regulatory compliance and labour expenses, yet are routinely compared to imported clothing that does not operate under the same conditions.

She also addresses a long-avoided topic in Kenya’s retail space: the dominance of mitumba and low-grade imported clothing. Many garments sold in popular markets such as Eastleigh, she explains, are not first-quality products but rejects from foreign markets. Comparing these imports to locally manufactured, first-quality textiles creates an uneven and misleading benchmark that undermines Kenyan manufacturers, despite the superior quality and durability of local products.

Beyond policy and market distortions, she reflects on the burden of sustaining a family-owned manufacturing business through decades of economic uncertainty. Remaining operational when others closed meant absorbing losses, making difficult decisions and prioritising long-term survival over quick returns. She is clear that textile manufacturing in Kenya is not a sector for those seeking fast profits.

What continues to anchor her commitment is a sense of purpose that extends beyond balance sheets. Supporting Buy Kenya, Build Kenya is, for her, about safeguarding jobs, livelihoods and communities.

Many employees at Thika Cloth Mills have spent their entire working lives at the company and retired there, reinforcing a responsibility that goes far beyond business. Her message underscores the urgent need for honest conversations about policy, imports and consumer choices if Kenya’s manufacturing sector is to thrive.