Uganda may come out with a textile industry policy that will prohibit government and traders from importing products which are manufactured by local factories. Manufacturers want priority for local goods as they face the danger of being kicked out of business. They are hurt that local industrial products are rotting in stores as the government and traders prefer imports. They want heavy taxes to be imposed on imported products so that the government and traders can consume local goods.

One suggestion is that factories should diversify into manufacturing other products such as African wares to capture both local and international markets. Most Ugandans wear imported second-hand clothes. Used shirts, blouses, trousers, caps and many other clothing items reach Uganda in huge bales from countries such as the US and the UK.

After landing in Africa, the clothes find their way along a chain of wholesalers until they end up with small retailers in thousands of trading centers dotted around Uganda. There are calls in the Ugandan media for banning imports of second-hand clothes to promote the development of homegrown textile industries and enhance economic growth. But most Ugandans prefer the cheapness and a variety of styles and fashion provided by imported second-hand clothes.