BY MERCY NDEGWA
Smuggling, poor quality of hides and skins and inappropriate policies are challenges facing the sector
Thinking of where to buy leather shoes in Kenya or authentic natural leather products?
Then look no further. Reddamac Leather Centre (RLC) limited is the place to be.
Located on Nairobi city’s southern bypass off Thika superhighway, near the popular Kamakis place, Reddamac leather centre, the manufacturers of high-quality foot gear, offers you a variety that you cannot find anywhere in the East African region and beyond to pick from at affordable, discounted prices.
Other than the high-quality shoes, Reddamac leather centre produces high quality shoes, bags, belts, wallets and playing balls among other items.
However, as Reddamac leather centre Director Mr Robert Njoka strives to serve the society by making available what the local and regional market need, challenges abound.
Mr Njoka notes that vices such as smuggling, poor quality of hides and skins and inappropriate policies are among the challenges that face the sector, hindering Kenya from achieving its potential in the leather industry.
Also affecting the industry is the illegal exports that the government has not addressed, which Mr Njoka says have hampered the growth of the industry.
“If government agencies intervene and implement appropriate policies, Kenyans will benefit from this industry especially if they promote the Buy Kenya Build Kenya initiative,” Njoka said.
Reddamac leather centre specializes in schools shoes, ladies shoes, kids shoes, men’s shoes, military shoes, safety shoes and boots, leather sofa sets, and leather skins.
Leather industry is among the strategic development blueprints in the ruling President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza manifesto, which aims to expand manufacturing so as to create more job opportunities for Kenyans.
In 2007 the company became the single largest exporter of leather in the country with 90 percent of production dedicated to the foreign market and 10 percent forming the local market of finished leather products.
The company has managed to open up the export market for its products to countries including India, Australia, China and Italy among others, not forgetting the African market.
Mr Njoka says Reddamac Leather Centre already has over 100 employees with other indirect jobs for suppliers.
“We take pride in our state-of-the-art leather complex which has propelled us to become the leading manufacturer in the industry,” the company’s head of marketing Ms Maryanne Wanjiru says.
Reddamac leather centre was established in 2003 and incorporated as a limited liability company in 2004 in partnership with Zingo Investment limited as the Mother Company with a core business in manufacturing footwear.
The company is currently located on its own premises along the Eastern Bypass on a five-acre land developed into a modern leather complex.
“The company boasts as the largest factory production capacity in the country with a production rate of 1 million square feet wet-blue, 0.5 million of finished leather up-to 4,000 pairs of different varieties of shoes per day,” says Mr Njoka.
According to Mr Njoka, the company’s daily challenges include acquiring the most up-to-date knowledge in different emerging business functions, opportunities, risks and technology as well as full knowledge of the existing products and utilizing this knowledge to maximize the value-added services to our clients.
“We devote ourselves to provide our customers with beauty and wellness through quality leather footwear within the best industrial practices,” the company director says adding; “to remain a sustainable business, fairly reward all its stakeholders, as well as acknowledge their respective interests and contributions.”
Among the wide variety of products offered by Reddamac leather center are school shoes that are one of the best sellers in the local market and within the region.
The company has already given parents a price discount for a pair of REVA school shoes as they prepare for the back to school in January 2025. But even as the challenges abound, it is not gloom and doom yet.
Mr Njoka says that he is happy that the company has been able to produce good quality shoes which everyone can acquire at an affordable price.
“Our shoes are of good quality and are durable and it is my wish that Kenyans can purchase the shoes and understand the quality of products that are being produced by our own,” said Mr Njoka.
Since its establishment in 2003, the company has devoted its efforts to product planning, manufacturing and marketing in the footwear as well as other sectors of leather business.
“From the standpoint that we appreciate footwear as garments worn on the feet and also an essential motivation to creation of culture and lifestyle.”
The company continuously drives forward with further business expansion by developing products that offer new values to customers.
The company considers itself a “one stop” supplier satisfying client demand owing to its listening ear, care and “we continue to uphold our tradition and belief of not only meeting but exceeding our customer’s expectations by remaining in step with changes in our marketplace.”
“We treat our customers differently, as individuals, catering for their individual needs while striving to contain costs. To us, customer focus covers everything from product quality to prompt delivery, after-sales service, professional expertise and advice.”
Since 2006, the company has continuously embarked on plans to expand capacity, consolidate markets and improve lives.
These initiatives saw the company a year later signed as the single largest exporter of leather in the country with 90 percent of production dedicated to this contract and 10 percent forming the local market of finished leather.
We also partnered with Kenya prison services in training in footwear and supplying finished leather for the products.
In 2012, the company was nominated as a centre of excellence and used as a training ground by the Kenya Leather Development Council (KLDC) in its industrial development programmes including practical training location for the University of Nairobi’ new Bachelor of Science Degree in Leather Technology.
In 2013, occasioned by increased demand of its product, Reddamac leather centre enhanced its tanning production capacity by four times by setting up the shoe making factory with the state-of-the-art shoe making equipment.
