The togetherness that emanates from Social Media communities has seen Kenyans through their darkest of times when the government and corporates with big financial muscles have underestimated their voices. It easy to catch the attention of a brand that feels too big to respond to your complaint via twitter than unanswered calls to the customer care department. Just one foul cry and a whole army rants in your defence.
In recent times, boycotting products and services by these stubborn corporates has worked magic, invoking relevant authorities overseeing their operations to force them to respond immediately to the public concerns deflating their big egos.
Here are some of the popular brands that Kenyans have boycotted over bad customer service or poor quality of products and services.
1. Always
When Kenyan women noticed that Aways is duping them with poor quality sanitary pads that caused discomfort rashes and itchiness in their private parts, they warned others about consuming products from it until they could stock the market with safe and quality sanitary pads.
I quit this brand long time ago. That scent is unbearable, the rash, irritation etc
Their US brand is totally different than what we have.Women in Kenya should #BoycottAlways. Menstruation is hard enough, sanitary products should not complicate it. #MyAlwaysExperience.
— Mellany Murgor (@m_chemu) March 12, 2019
So @Always @ProcterGamble is just going to blatantly ignore Kenyan women and not even try to address them. I'll do my part and stop buying your subpar products as well. #MyAlwaysExperience #boycottalways https://t.co/LiJJyNVdKC
— Ntha Venolia Seboka🇿🇦 (@Venolia_S) March 13, 2019
#MyAlwaysExperience first of all, y'all cancelled. Admit you've been flooding the Kenyan market with your substandard and very toxic products, clear the shelves and bring the same quality products sold abroad. "Your hearts are broken…" pffftt FOH #BoycottAlways
— emma nduta (@nduta_wangari) March 13, 2019
2. Jumia
With dominance in the E-commerce industry in Kenya, Jumia is still not able to manage its customers’ expectation. Their customer care services have been far from granting its buyers a satisfying experience.
2/2) So I ask to speak to a @JumiaKenya manager. Nope, all managers are "busy in a meeting" and cannot talk to customers. Jumia cannot trace the phone in their system or network of riders. So phone would arrive on seventh day after placing the order. Now will #BoycottJumia.
— Scott Bellows (@ScottProfessor) June 27, 2018
.@JumiaKenya waliniuzia item fulani July na sahii imechapa. I sent a mail asking for a replacement or fixing , no one has replied yet. I'm not letting this go.
I think something's up and there're many more out there. #BoycottJumia #buyersBeware— Patrick Mûtwîri (@patric_mutwiri) January 3, 2018
#BoyCottJumia jumia ceo concentrates on only minting our cash not employing us. What a company. Better support a local company
— Libra 🇰🇪 (@LibraMueni) April 15, 2019
3.Safaricom
The Telco giant has been on the receiving end with most of its customers ranting about very costly Mpesa transaction, expensive internet bundles that get depleted very quickly and expensive calls across networks. Some have blatantly accused Safaricom of being thieves.
Government sleeping!? See how safaricom is reeping huge from kenyans. Reducing their costs by 60% will still thrive well in kenya. Struggling kenyan economy. And a company is making 55.6bln. Total joke. #boycottsafaricom@C_NyaKundiH @MboyaApollo @bonifacemwangi @UKenyatta pic.twitter.com/kSsAZR9sVW
— Freddy kimomo Cj (@fkimomo) May 10, 2018
You don't need to be told #BoycottSafaricom for you to see it
This is 7 days data plan from Safaricom(A) and Airtel(B) , compare and migrate pic.twitter.com/VGgIT0Ftyj— Anthony (@Anthony254_) November 8, 2017
Why is @SafaricomPLC still charging us extra amounts on transactions yet the taxes imposed by the 2018-2019 budget were suspended by the court? #StopTheseThieves #BoycottSafaricom #BYOBMombasa @C_NyaKundiH @xtiandela @dkmaraga @lawsocietykenya @NyoikeTj #BiasharaFund #TubongeKE
— John Miano 🇰🇪 (@MianoJN) July 27, 2018
4.Kenya Airways
The national carrier has had its fair share of public disgrace. From delayed flights, insecurity to terrible customer care, becoming good enough in the eyes of the public has been a hard task.
@KenyaAirways services getting worse with time.. Respond to customer complaints before it is too late @UKenyatta #Kenya #BoycottKenyaAirways
— Umm Jamal (@jemmymo) July 23, 2014
#BoycottKenyaAirways We shouldn't tolerate this @thekojoyankson https://t.co/7zh1YmzLuf
— Minavmedia Ghana (@minavmedia) September 13, 2017
You either use another aircraft for Flight KQ534 or refund! We are Nigerians and our lives matter too. #BoycottKenyaAirways
— Toyin Abdulrazaq (@toyinabdulrazaq) November 29, 2016
5. AAR Insurance
This insurance company decided to mess with Human Rights Activist Boniface Mwangi, throwing him under the bus over lapsed contribution to his account and Kenyans interpreted it as a rude gesture.
You actually charge three time the amount when someone is using a diffrent cover in your clinics..#boycottaarinsurance
— shiko munene (@JuddyW) June 5, 2017
The level of hypocrisy n retrogression that comes with this silly hashtag #AARInsuranceFacts is public display of how AAR does not value their customers confidentiality nor have respect for the general public.
They have taken this fight to an all time low #BoycottAARInsurance
— MR. BLAK® (@blakaende2) March 26, 2019
You increase premiums 4 months later the copay #boycottaarinsurance
— shiko munene (@JuddyW) May 31, 2017
6. Brookside
Kenyans were unhappy with the proposed milk bill that criminalised dairy farmers alleging Brookside to be the mastermind, seeking monopoly in the milk business.
@UKenyatta is so out of touch with us normal Kenyans, he has shown us he doesn't care about us. The revolution needs to begin with boycotting all his milk companies e.g Brookside, Tuzo etc until they the companies become bankrupt.#boycottUhuru#boycottbrookside#KenyansForKenya
— Daughter of Muthoni (@MuthoniMaryanne) March 22, 2019
These people defending #brookside milk as though they own stock in the company #stupid #buymilkdirecltyfromfarmers #kot #boycottbrookside
— Nonya Byzness (@KBIM3) August 20, 2015
7.Kenya Power
Electricity is a necessity that should not be interrupted or rationed to citizens. In the event of defaults or delays, the System should be quickly resolved before it becomes a national crisis. But Kenya Power is the boss.
The nightmare that is Kenya Power’s pre-paid token delays https://t.co/Vk3rKe4fqX @KenyaPower_Care @MboyaApollo #boycottkenyapower
— Hilary Kimuyu (@hilarykimuyu) April 16, 2018
@KenyaPower_Care 2 Weeks of power outage at Kihunguro, Ruiru #BoycottKenyaPower#AntiCorruptionDay @WanjikuRevolt @Maskani254
— Gitobu KIBITI (@GitobuKIBITI) December 9, 2015
8. Standard Gauge Railway
With Chinese spearheading the SGR project and their history of racism, the standard gauge railway (SGR) line for passengers and cargo transportation between Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, and Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya was received half-heartedly by Kenyans
we a chinese colony @XHNews . The racial discrimination happening in Kenya is unprecedented. In their offices and sites, your salary and treatment is dependent not on your expertise but your skin color. We should not only #BoycottSGR we should chase these dogs out of Kenya!
— Pseudon Ultius (@PseudonU) July 9, 2018
#BoycottSGR Chinese nationals have created a small kingdom in which they run roughshod over Kenyan workers who say they are experiencing neo-colonialism,racism and blatant discrimination as the taxpayer foots the Sh30 million a day bill for the train.https://t.co/WrSBQhrCJx
— TheNortherner (@alaminkimathi) July 9, 2018
This shitters should be shipped back to their home country na haka kwanza kafagie hio uchafu yake 🤬🤬🤬🤮 #BoycottSGR pic.twitter.com/wZF4q1DXgA
— Becky ™🇰🇪 (@B_sktuash) July 9, 2018
9. BlueBand
When Kenyans realised Blue Band products are not safe to consume and do not meet all local and global health guidelines and manufacturing standards.
Still wondering @bluebandKenya 1. Why didn’t you make it clearer in the packaging that it has more trans fat? 2. Even on bread it still goes in our stomachs! All oils and food you list melt in our mouths to speed up digestion. So stop fooling us sijui enzymes #BoycottBlueband https://t.co/3ml2nti7tu
— Samia Omar Bwana (@SamiaOBwana) July 13, 2018
@blueband should stop advertising as a healthy product since use of emulsifiers leads to hydrogenation which increases unhealthy trans fats as a side product. Why do they need to two products if one is already good enough unless to save money? 🤔 #BoycottBlueband https://t.co/z4ShaCLkpW
— Samia Omar Bwana (@SamiaOBwana) July 13, 2018
10. Bidco
Opposition leader Raila Odinga encouraged Kenyans to boycott using products by fast goods manufacturer Bidco claiming they played a role in previous elections.
Kappa oil refineries it is. #ResistBidco
— mom's doppelganger (@Atienondai) November 5, 2017
