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Related Keywords: bales, cotton, hybrid, Kenya, Nairobi, National Biosafety Authority, NBA, report

Kenya on Wednesday announced plans to start commercial growing of Bt cotton, or genetically modified (GM) cotton.

Charles Waturu, Principal Investigator of GM cotton project, said that the government is expected to release the Bt cotton seeds to 1,000 demonstration sites in all parts of cotton growing areas by November.

The official said a final report on the second National Performance Trials that has been going on in the country will be submitted to National Performance Trials Committee by September.

Related Keywords: duty remission, enjoy VAT exemption, Finance Bill, garments manufactured in EPZs, imported clothes will attract duty, imported from North America and Europe, Nairobi, popularly known as mitumba, Second-hand clothes, sold in Gikomba Market, sold in local market, Textile Industry

Second-hand clothes, popularly known as mitumba, are mostly imported from North America and Europe into Kenya. Most of these second-hand clothes are sold in Gikomba Market, Nairobi. It is estimated to hold close to 65,000 traders. According to the Finance Bill 2016, all imported clothes will attract a duty of $0.4 (Sh40.8) per kilogramme of clothes up from $0.2 (Sh20.4) per kilogramme, the Government believes is as a win-win solution to the mitumba trade that has crippled the country’s textile industry.