In a wave that started on Twitter under the hashtag #MyAlwaysExperience, Kenyan women have come out to share their horrific stories on their experiences with substandard Always sanitary pads.
Hundreds of Kenyan women flooded social media, especially on Twitter, with complaints about Always sanitary pads, giving examples on why they think the pads they use in Kenya are not of the same quality as those developed in Western countries.
People in the diaspora coming through with #MyAlwaysExperience evidence on how @Always been dumping terrible pads for Kenyan women. Then @Always_Kenya busy playing PR SMH.
Y’all are the realest 💯✊🏾💯✊🏾💯✊🏾
— Scheaffer Okore (@scheafferoo) March 12, 2019
#MyAlwaysExperience my final always pad compared to a US brand pad that I currently use. The difference is impeccable. @Always_Kenya are giving Kenyans mediocre products. pic.twitter.com/s9rhCVTdbO
— Lorraine Okinda (@Lorrlena) March 12, 2019
with such kind of itching,burning,rashes and the smell…something is just not right.Check the quality…please do not do this to our precious organ…make that time of a month worry free…..
— Sonnie (@SoniMwangi) March 12, 2019
P&G Responds to Always Complaints
Protector and Gamble, the manufacturers of Always pads, have since come out to defend their product saying that the Kenyan quality is similar to those in other parts of the world.
“The Always Ultra pads we have in Kenya are similar to the Always pads in other parts of the world including Germany, UK, US, South Africa. All our pads including the ones in Kenya are designed and developed in Europe and the US,” they tweeted.
The Always Ultra pads we have in Kenya are similar to the Always pads in other parts of the world including Germany, UK, US, South Africa. All our pads including the ones in Kenya are designed and developed in Europe and the US .
— Always Kenya (@Always_Kenya) March 12, 2019
They also gave a link on their twitter page were consumers can go and compare the products.
Kenyan Women online would, however, hear none of it accusing the Always manufacturers of ignoring their concerns on one too many occasions.
Wow! You do know it’s okay to actually take positive criticism right, No?
Question should be if it’s the same quality why is almost everyone reacting or having an experience that leaves them opting for other products?Anyway this sounds like a generic PR response pic.twitter.com/phRzScGtlx
— Miss Mwari (@Karey_mwari) March 12, 2019
True to the allegations, the findings proved that indeed the Kenyan product was different and substandard compared to those in other markets abroad.
Dr. Njenga Karugia, currently in Germany went as far as carrying out an experiment and recorded the whole process.
So, @Tugengirl, I bought Always in Germany after seeing your request for a global comparison. I bought Big Pack 26 pads Made in Germany by Procter & Gamble in a town called Schwalbach. Soft, perfumed absorbs 5 tablespoons wait 2Mins, no leakage. Here, a video #MyAlwaysExperience pic.twitter.com/X55LJ7qhDy
— Dr. John Njenga Karugia, PhD (@johnnjenga) March 12, 2019
The online outrage has also put Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) on the spot for allowing substandard products to flood the market.
Always Kenya has, however, maintained that their products are non-defective and meet the standards of the market and are not different from the rest in Western countries.