This archive report was first published on 19 November 2019.
On September 25, 2014, a group of 60 residents from Busia filed a lawsuit against the Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola Central, East and West Africa, and Equator Bottlers at the Busia High Court.
The case began after a Funyula resident complained about a bottle of soda containing foreign bodies. The Director of Public Health, Kepha Ombacho, testified in court that the complainant had not opened the bottle, which was then taken for analysis at the government chemist.
According to Ombacho, the results showed that foreign bodies were present in the soda. He noted that particles are not supposed to be part of the soda, but could not determine whether the foreign content was harmful to consumers.
Phanice Ongachi, a former Quality Assurance Officer at the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), also testified that she collected samples from Funyula market and its environs, which later failed tests due to non-compliance with set standards.
The CEO of Equator Bottlers pleaded guilty to charges related to the contaminated soda and was fined Sh100,000 or sentenced to six months in jail in default.
Attempts by the Coca-Cola Company to settle the case out of court were rejected by the victims, who were offered Sh45,000 each as compensation for consuming contaminated soda.
