For years, the man bag sparked debates. Was it stylish or unnecessary? Trendy or too daring? Today, that debate is settled. The modern Kenyan man is carrying more than just keys and a wallet, and he wants a bag that looks good while doing it, and sometimes strapped across the shoulder.
Bag makers, too, have tapped into the trend, creating men’s bags that speak to evolving tastes and lifestyles. One of them is Sandstorm.
According to Ashley Jepchumba, the marketing manager at Sandstorm Kenya, man bags account for approximately 25 to 30 percent of their total sales.
“We recognised that men were increasingly looking for practical bags that went beyond briefcases and backpacks. Expanding into man bags allowed us to meet this evolving need. It also aligned with global fashion trends where men’s accessories have become an essential part of personal style,” she says.
Leather bags on display at Sandstorm Kenya shop in Karen, Nairobi, on September 18, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
Their fastest-moving item is the Jeremiah Messenger bag priced at Sh30,900 for the pull-up version and Sh18,900 for the canvas. Reason? Because they “transition seamlessly from work to travel and have compartments designed for laptops.”
Besides Sandstorm, Denri is also seeking to grow its share of man bags. Brian Omondi, the customer analyst at Denri, says that man bags currently represent 10 percent of their total sales volume, with approximately 38 percent of these purchases made by women.
Denri is also focused on expanding its man bag share, which currently makes up 10 percent of its total sales volume. Interestingly, Denri customer analyst Bryan Omondi notes that 38 percent of these purchases are made by women.
Having introduced man bags in 2018 to meet evolving customer needs, Mr Omondi explains that the expansion was driven by a strong customer base, market gaps, and a fashion trend extending beyond Nairobi.
“Our top buyers are from Nairobi, Nakuru, Meru, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret and Kakamega,” he says, adding that June is the best-selling month due to Father’s Day, while September sees an increase in sales as people prepare to return to school and work.
Why I introduced man bags
For small business owner Violet Kuria, founder of Vkhayo, the single man bag design in her collection now accounts for an impressive 40 percent of her total sales.
Sandstorm Kenya CEO Shem Omondi at the company’s Karen store in Nairobi on September 18, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
She created a laptop bag for men, but the first design failed to sell well because it was slightly too big and lacked an official or classy appearance. “I just sold two out of five, with the remaining being dead stock. I redesigned, and the women would buy for their men, but this year I have sold to more men,” she says.
So what is the profile of the man buying the man bags and man purses, and what do they carry inside? Mutheu Muthee, a 32-year-old engineer, is among a growing number of Kenyan professionals opting for man bags as a practical alternative to traditional backpacks. He says the shift came in 2021 when he left the corporate sector to work in the field as an engineer. A laptop bag felt too tedious, so he turned to a man bag for the days he was on site.
Inside the one-foot black or grey leather man bag, Mr Muthee says: “I have my calculator, tape measure, notebook, and phone.” But one ‘unusual’ item he always carries is tissue paper.
Has he ever lost or misplaced it? “One day at around 6pm, one construction worker left with my man bag, and by the time I realised they had already left, but he returned it the next day,” he recalls.
His dream man bag design is one with many zips.
I lost my man bag
In 2019, when Kingsley Oluoko, joined campus, he bought a man bag to carry his notebook to class instead of using a backpack. At first, it was purely functional, but he soon realised that what he wore had to complement the bag.
Kingsley Oluoko, 25, who began carrying a man bag as a campus student in 2019.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
“It really influenced my fashion in that mostly I wear casually, like a pair of jeans when using my man bag,” says the 25-year-old.
Inside, he carries a phone charger, sunglasses, Bible, pen, notebook, and sometimes jewellery. Has he ever forgotten it on transit? “Yes, luckily, I had my contact details in my notebook and the matatu conductor contacted me and gave it back after two days,” he says.
Mr Oluoko has four-man bags; two black, a brown, and a red, which he got as a gift from a colleague. The first time his sister saw it, he remembers telling him, “You are so bold to carry a red one.”
If he could design his own man bag, it would have fewer pockets. “For the strap that goes round, I would use African colours to represent the different communities.”
It was for a need…
For Nyaboga Kiage, 32, carrying a man bag, which he straps across his shoulder, started with the need to store his power bank.
He explains that keeping it in his pocket was inconvenient because of its size. So, with two-man bags, a brown and a black one, he found his solution. Occasionally, he even carries his neck chains inside.
Tote bags on display at Sandstorm Kenya shop in Karen, Nairobi, on September 18, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
“When I carry my man bag, definitely, I’m in casual wear. You can’t wear official and still carry your man bag,” he says.
Have you received any positive or negative comments? “Yes. I get a lot of positive comments like it looks smart; I love it... I have not received a negative one since I carried my first in 2019.”
Still, Mr Kiage admits he does not always carry it. “For me, it depends on the occasion or purpose.”
What is the etiquette around man bags?
Derek Bbanga, an executive presence strategist, says the way a man bag is designed is to be worn across the body, allowing quick access to everyday essentials such as phones, headphones, or keys.
Brayan Oduor, customer analyst at Denri, during an interview at the company’s Hilton branch along Mama Ngina Street, Nairobi, on September 23, 2025.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
A leather man bag, he notes, is more classic and can be worn even on high-end occasions. “But the canvas ones are a bit more utilitarian.”
When it comes to meetings, he says, it depends on the type of man bag. There are bags that are closer to small backpacks.
“If you walked into a meeting with a nice man bag that has your iPad, for example, and you will use the iPad, then that is acceptable. In the same measure, if you walked in with a Gucci leather man bag that belongs maybe on a runway as opposed to a meeting, then you might look out of place.”
The idea of masculinity, Mr Bbanga adds, has shifted with the modern man living a hybrid lifestyle. “The traditional briefcase was associated with a man going to the office working a nine-to-five job, but now men have different bags to fit their different needs.”
Perfectly matching shoes and outfit?
So, why are man bags still stigmatised? “I think they are stigmatised only in certain pockets of society, certain generations, because man bags are utilitarian, functional, and a style item. No one will blink twice, particularly when they see a Gen Z or millennial carrying one of those.”
Man bags on display at the Denri Hilton branch along Mama Ngina Street, Nairobi on September 23, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
While women have long matched their handbags with shoes or clothes, Mr Bbanga argues this fashion approach is outdated.
“Even with ladies. You should not have red shoes and a red handbag that perfectly match. They should coordinate. A deep red pair of shoes and a burgundy handbag.”
He recommends coordinating or colour blocking instead. “For example, a navy-blue suit or jacket and a brown man bag would be complementary. Also, you could look at the texture. For example, a pebbled leather man bag with a wool suit...the combination of those two is pleasing to the eye.”
