Battery firm might close Kenyan factory, blaming cheap imports and high costs

Battery manufacturer Eveready East Africa might close its Kenyan factory to cut costs as “cheap” imports from Asia had eaten into the firm’s market share. Jackson Mutua, Eveready East Africa’s new CEO, told Business Daily that the company is considering to outsource manufacturing to a country with lower operating costs. An analyst told the newspaper that manufacturing costs in Kenya are steep, driven by high labour and energy expenses. According to Business Daily, multinationals such as Reckitt Benckiser, Procter and Gamble and Colgate Palmolive have all closed their Kenyan plants. Read the full article at Business Daily.


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