How Gikomba Trader Built Ksh5M Mitumba Business With Ksh95K Investment

With the ever-growing demands for money in households across the country, many Kenyans, especially those in formal employment, opt to seek additional sources of income.

This is the case of Jeff Somba, a TV host who decided to venture into the mitumba business in 2019 to help him make ends meet.

According to Somba, who was speaking during an interview with NTV, he invested Ksh95,000 in his venture and bought bales of clothes to sell to other traders in Gikomba and other markets in Nairobi, such as Toi Market.

Despite facing many challenges at the start, including the economic shocks occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, the TV host has grown his business to a Ksh5 million venture within the six years.

Also read: Starting a Mitumba Business in Kenya: All You Need To Know

How He Grew the Business

As detailed by Somba, the foundation of building a successful mitumba business in Gikomba is dependent on two things: consistency and quality of clothing items.

Consistency: The TV host revealed that he was consistent in bringing in his stock. He detailed that he would bring in new bales every week. This enables him to ensure that there is a sufficient supply for his customers.

Quality: Somba added that most buyers look for clothes of good quality. Therefore, when purchasing a bale, he revealed that he would rather buy bales that have quality clothes, even if they are more costly.

“You have to be consistent in what you are doing. After picking bales every week, I now have a stock of Ksh5 million. When it comes to business in Gikomba, it is about many things, but quality is important. What we value first is the quality, not the price,” he stated.

How Mitumba Business Works

For most experienced traders in Gikomba, most of their stock is imported from countries such as the UK, China, Oman and Turkey.

Once the bales land in Gikomba, they are then distributed to various traders.

The traders then choose whether they will sell the bales as a whole to open the items and sell clothes in an open-air market. Notably, some traders from other markets, such as Toi Market, usually go to Gikomba and pick the items they consider the best for their customers, which is often referred to as 1st camera.

These are items that look brand new and are likely to be bought faster by Kenyans. Therefore, for any trader, it would be easy to make a profit from such items.

Another trader at Gikomba ‘Kelvin’ explained that some of the traders prefer to pick the 1st camera rather than going for the bale because they are profitable.

“I bought my first bale at Ksh25,000, and it was not profitable. So, I learnt from that. I now buy piece by piece. I only go for 1st camera, no matter whether the clothes are for children, ladies or men. 1st camera usually looks new,” Kelvin explained.

Also Read: KRA Clarifies Tax Policy on Mitumba Imports

Mitumba Imports in Kenya 

According to the recent 2025 Economic Survey Report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Kenya imports slightly over Ksh20 billion of second-hand clothes every year.

In 2024, the imports were valued at Ksh27.81 billion. In 2022 and 2023, the imports were valued at Ksh19.9 billion and Ksh26.2 billion, respectively.