This archive report was first published on 28 October 2019.
On October 28, 2019, the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) approved Unilever's 90% acquisition of Chemi & Cotex Kenya Limited, a local beauty products maker, with a condition.
The multinational manufacturing giant agreed to continue producing Whitedent, a herbal toothpaste brand, and other products, including Baby Soft, Bodyline, Skin Glow, Siri, U & Me, Lovely, Bannister, and Tressa, for at least three years.
Unilever's acquisition of Chemi & Cotex Kenya Limited comes amid fears that some of the products under Chemi & Cotex's stable would be immediately withdrawn from the local market.
According to the CAK, the approval was granted on condition that the acquirer continue providing the target's products in the market for at least three years upon conclusion of the transaction.
Unilever manufactures a range of beauty products, including Vaseline, Geisha, Dove, and St Ives, toothpaste as well as toothbrushes under the Close-Up and Pepsodent brands.
The acquisition is set to boost Unilever's efforts to cement its customer numbers in Kenya, and comes in a year that the company cut the price of its Pepsodent toothpaste by more than half as it eyes increased share in the oral healthcare segment.
