Chinese retail chains on the spot over Mandarin products labelling
Chinese retail chains in Kenya are under scrutiny for selling products labeled exclusively in Mandarin, violating local laws requiring English or Kiswahili. Consumers have reported safety risks, including the misuse of industrial adhesives misidentified as household glue.
Why it matters
This highlights regulatory gaps in consumer protection and the challenges of enforcing language standards in a globalized retail market.
Several products sold in three leading Chinese retail chains in Kenya are in breach of the law that requires goods sold locally to be labelled in English or Kiswahili.
A Business Daily investigation has uncovered that products ranging from baby and feminine care items to skincare products, personal hygiene goods, electronics and industrial adhesives are labelled purely in Mandarin.
The products, sold at Mia Duck, China Square and Panda Mart, bear the Kenya Bureau of Standards’ (Kebs) Import Standardisation Mark (ISM), indicating that they have been certified for sale in Kenya.
The revelations have sparked questions about how products that do not meet the country’s statutory labelling requirements entered the Kenyan market and reached retail shelves, posing consumption and financial risks to consumers. Their labelling in Mandarin denies consumers a window to make informed choices.
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