NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 5 – More than 2,800 Kenyan consumers have filed an urgent petition at the High Court in Nairobi accusing global manufacturers Procter & Gamble (makers of Always and Pampers) and Kimberly-Clark (producers of Kotex and Huggies) of misleading advertising and product mislabeling.
The consumers, represented by Joseph Mwai, Ekuru Aukot, and Okello Kiume Advocates, claim the firms sell sanitary and baby products allegedly containing petroleum-based materials, despite labeling them as “100% Cotton” or “Pure Cotton.”
They argue that the misleading descriptions violate consumer rights, public health, and environmental laws under the Constitution and the Consumer Protection Act.
The petitioners want the court to suspend the sale and advertisement of the products until the case is concluded, and to compel the companies to disclose full product compositions and correct the labeling.
“The continued sale and use of toxic sanitary and infant products jeopardize millions of women and children and undermine constitutional guarantees to human dignity,” the petition reads.
The group also accuses the companies of economic exploitation, saying Kenya loses over Sh60 billion annually through the importation of petroleum-based products that could be replaced with locally produced cotton alternatives, which they estimate could generate Sh100 billion annually in local revenue.
The Law Society of Kenya has been listed as an interested party in the case, which is before the Constitutional and Human Rights Division of the High Court.
The next hearing is scheduled for March 24, 2025, after the court allowed time for parties to file affidavits and exchange documents.
