Rwanda: Kevine Kagirimpudu, a woman entrepreneur who recycles old tires into shoes

Passionate about design and craft, but also committed to the preservation of environment, Kevine Kagirimpudu created in 2013, UZURI K & Y, a brand of shoes made from old tires. In 2019, the young woman entrepreneur was ranked by the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative as one of the 10 Heroes of Change in Africa.

Kevine Kagirimpudu was born and grew up in a family of creatives: architects, artists, poets… Despite her passion for creation, she enrolled to study engineering at university. But she immediately was caught up by her passion and decided to turn to creative design and product design. There she met her bestfriend, Ysolde Shimwe, who later became her co-founder and business partner. 

In 2013, while still in training, she launched UZURI K & Y, a company that makes shoes from old tires. The aim, according to the entrepreneur, being to create jobs and preserve environment. “When we started UZURI K & Y, my co-founder and I wanted to make sure that our contribution to the planet through recycling becomes our mission,” says the young entrepreneur.

The company collects old tires from landfills in different neighborhoods, then, process them, give them a new life cycle and fashion them to become durable, soft, outsoles of eco footwear.  

An impact on economy and environment

In just a few years, the company has had a considerable economic and ecological impact.  It has created employment opportunities, especially for women, who make up 60% of the production team and 90% of the brand’s management. It now employs 85 people in Rwanda and plans to open its retail stores across the continent and expand into 10 countries over the next five years.

On an environmental level, the company has also contributed to reducing pollution from old tires, which are among the most problematic sources of waste in the world. In 8 years, it has removed more than 15,000 old tires from inhabited areas and recycled them into shoes that are currently sold in Rwanda. 

The company has also trained more than 1000 young people to date, some of whom have set up small businesses. Over the next few years, the entrepreneur plans to train at least 10,000 young people who could also create small businesses.

Given the social impact of UZURI K & Y, Kevine Kagirimpudu was ranked in 2019 by the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative as one of the 10 Heroes creating change across Africa. Her long-term ambition is to see UZURI K & Y on the world’s most significant stock market exchange places.