Peter Sipoi wasn't looking for a new business idea when he travelled to Uganda in 2024. He already had plans to set up a printing shop to add to his other two small businesses.
Then he walked past a shoe cleaning stall on a street in Uganda and everything changed. Professional shoe cleaning done on a large scale with machines and a system was something he had never encountered in Kenya.
“I saw it and thought it was a good idea. People want convenience, and that's what I decided to offer," he says. This observation alone was enough to convince him to abandon the printing idea. What struck him most was how different it was from what he already knew back home.
Nairobi has had roadside shoe cleaners for decades. They are a familiar sight, bent over wooden boxes at bus stops, outside office buildings and on edges of busy markets in areas such as Gikomba, Eastleigh and the city centre.
Armed with a tin of polish, a horsehair brush and a folded rag, they offer a quick buff and shine, typically charging between Sh50 and Sh100 per pair, depending on the location and the state of the shoe.
In busier or more affluent areas such as Westlands or along Ngong Road, some charge as much as Sh150. The service is fast and is almost entirely limited to leather shoes. Customers can have clean shoes in under five minutes without leaving the pavement.
Peter Sipoi, the founder of Cleankicks shoe cleaning services poses for at his shop in Karen.
Photo credit: Pool
This informal employment is deeply rooted, and for many Nairobians, it is the only shoe care they know. However, these operators cannot clean sneakers, suede shoes, or any shoe that requires more than a surface polish since they have no water, no machines and no specialist products.
A trained telecommunications and electronics technician, he already had a cyber café and a phone repair shop up and running.
For almost a year, Sipoi kept his existing businesses running and quietly put their earnings aside in a new fund. By September 2025, he had saved enough to start up independently, without taking out a loan or seeking outside investment.
He then imported an industrial washer and dryer, costing Sh230,000, and set up shop. The dryer can handle up to 24 pairs of shoes per cycle, while the semi-automatic washer requires the operator to work alongside it throughout the cleaning process.
Once the machines were in place, Sipoi hired a cobbler and an assistant and was all set. This is how Cleankicks Shoe Cleaning Services came about. Four months in, the Karen-based business is handling between 200 and 250 pairs of shoes a month, roughly 10 pairs on a typical day, and up to 20 on a busy one. He offers services ranging from basic cleaning to full detailing and sterilisation.
Prices start at Sh200 for a standard clean and go up to around Sh500 depending on the type of shoe and the required finish.
He explains that the work is more technical than it sounds “Not all shoes can be submerged in water,” he points out. Suede, for example, requires foam or spray-based cleaning products and must be brushed in one direction throughout the process. Leather needs conditioning before polish is applied. Certain trainers, even if they look different, have the same limitations as suede. Getting it wrong can be expensive.
He remembers an early incident when a suede shoe came out of the cleaning process with uneven colouring. “That is the most challenging shoe to clean," says Sipoi. He did not stop cleaning suede; instead, he got better at it.
PeterSipoi3
Photo credit: Pool
His clients, he says, are a diverse mix of university students, office workers, women with premium sneakers, and men, who form a reliable and regular part of his customer base. From the onset, he understood that shoe cleaning is a visual business.
Most of the clients find him online through his daily posts, before-and-after videos and live cleaning sessions on social media. These have made his online presence his most effective method of attracting customers.
Like any young business, there are gaps in the operation that are still being filled. Without a delivery motorbike, Sipoi relies on his partner, who uses public transport for pick-ups and drop-offs for clients who cannot come in person.
For customers in distant neighbourhoods, the round-trip cost can reach Sh600, which is not worthwhile for Sh300. Currently, he groups pick-ups by area, combining several clients into one journey and splitting the cost between them.
“Once we get a bike, it will be much cheaper,” he says. Sourcing specialist cleaning products is another challenge. The products needed for suede, leather and restoration work are not easily found locally.
This leaves him with the option of importing from China, which is more affordable but requires him to buy in large quantities. “I usually organise informal buying pools with neighbouring shop owners, combining orders to meet supplier minimums and split the cost,” he says.
Peter Sipoi, the founder of Cleankicks shoe cleaning services poses for at his shop in Karen.
Photo credit: Pool
Sipoi's ambitions are clear: to open more branches and build a recognisable brand. "I want to restore, repaint and repair footwear that most people would throw away," says the 27-year-old.
Looking back, he says he should have spent more time learning about the business before launching, and he should have started doing restoration work earlier, as it is profitable.
He also admits that the first few months were harder than he had expected. “It overwhelmed me at first, because it was something I had never done,” he says. However, he persevered, and four months in, the initial pressure feels like a different chapter entirely.
