Top tissue brands to be withdrawn from the market

Your favourite tissue could be withdrawn from the market following a directive by Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) for poor quality.

Kebs has flagged 26 brands of tissue, among them some of the most popular in the market, for noncompliance to  quality standards.

In a letter to the chief executive of the Retail Trade Association of Kenya (Retrak) dated February 24, Kebs asked the association to inform its members to withdraw the tissues from supermarket shelves.

“Following market surveillance activities on toilet paper brands in circulation across the country, Kebs detected noncompliance with the requirements of the Standards Act,” said the letter signed by Director of Market Surveillance Peter Kaigwara.

“We request your office to notify your members to withdraw these brands from your outlets across the country until further notice.”

This is not the first time that the State agency has called for removal of tissue brands in the market.

In 2011, Kebs had similarly targeted some brands for noncompliance with quality standards.

The latest move comes at a time when local manufacturers are facing stiff competition from cheap imports from China and the Middle East.

Firms estimate that the unregulated importation costs them close to 25 per cent of market value.

According to the 2020 Economic Survey, paper imports increased from 3.3 million tonnes in 2015 to four million tonnes in 2018.

Annually, the sector banks Sh2.4 billion in sales, employing more than 50,000 people directly and indirectly.

Retrak Chief Executive Wambui Mbarire did not respond to our request for comment by the time of going to press.