Bata Denies Closing Shop In Kenya, Firing Employees

Popular footwear maker Bata Shoe Kenya on Saturday, June 10 dismissed rumours on social media that the company folded operations in the country and sent home all of its employees.

The company’s Managing Director Benson Okumu stated in a notice seen by Viral Tea that the company was undergoing a normal maintenance shutdown usually done every year.

"We are on a normal annual maintenance shutdown, normally provided for during the off-peak season," read the notice in part.

Okumu further assured Bata's customers that its shops are open and are providing services as per usual, urging customers to be on the lookout for its great offers.

A Bata shop in Kenya. /FACEBOOK.BATA KENYA

"All our stores are open and functional with great teams to serve you and a wide variety of shoes in ample stocks to deliver our promise - to provide quality footwear for all," added the notice.

The rumours propagated by social media users alleged that the Limuru-based company was closing shop in the country due to an unfavourable business environment.

It was further alleged that a considerable number of employees were asked not to report to work due to the said intended closure.

Bata Shoe Kenya PLC, based in Limuru, has been operating since 1939. It is the leading footwear company in Kenya with a widespread network of over 150 stores and a Bata world-class factory as well as over 3,000 employees.

The company has produced 14 billion pairs of shoes since it was established and is known for brands such as Bata Toughees, a shoe line popular among school-going pupils and students.

Others include North Star, Power, Bubblegummers, Weinbrenner, Safari, Sandak and Bata Industrials.

Bata is a multinational footwear, apparel and fashion accessories manufacturer and retailer of Moravian (Czech) origin, headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. The corporation is one of the world's leading shoemakers by volume with 150 million pairs of shoes sold annually.

It has a retail presence of over 5,300 shops in more than 70 countries across five continents and 21 production facilities in 18 countries. Bata is an employer to over 32,000 people globally.

A family-owned business for over 125 years, the company is organized into three business units: Bata, Bata Industrials (safety shoes) and AW Lab (sports style). 

It was founded on September 21, 1894, in the Moravian town of Zlín, Austria-Hungary (today in the Czech Republic), by Tomáš Baťa, his brother Antonín and his sister Anna, whose family had been cobblers for generations. The company employed 10 full-time employees with a fixed work schedule and a regular weekly wage.

In 1914, with the outbreak of World War I, the company had a significant development due to military orders. From 1914 to 1918 the number of Baťa's employees increased 10 times.

Bata Toughees shoes. /FILE