The Competition Authority of Kenya has ordered Cleanshelf Supermarket to refund customers who bought the tropical brand hand sanitizer.
Investigations by the Authority established that tropical brand hand sanitizers retail at KSh 800 per 500ml container. But on 15th March, Cleanself was selling this product upwards of KSh 800, rising to KSh 1000 within hours.
The supermarket has thus been ordered to refund all those customers who bought this product and submit evidence to support the same by March 26th, 2020.
“The retailer exploited its relative strength to commercially detriment consumers whose bargaining position has been diminished following the pronouncement of the existence of COVID-19 in Kenya,” said Mr Wan’gombe Kariuki, CA Director-General.
At the time consumers blew the whistle on Cleanshelf, it had sold 960 pieces of this sanitizer above the usual selling price.
While the competition authority could rein in unscrupulous behaviour in the retail sector, other unregulated markets remain vulnerable especially food prices, transport sector and real estate.
In the UK, Coronavirus fears are already ravaging the property market as viewing dry up. This is because both sellers and buyers are worried about the risk of infection.
Kenya’s parliamentary budget committee is already warning of untold consequences of the coronavirus, combined with locust invasion and grim world economic outlook on Kenya’s economic performance this financial year.
ALSO READ:Private Sector Lobby Advisory to Firms on COVID-19 Pandemic
