Food Safety Crisis? Naivas Supermarket Faces Mounting Complaints Over Quality Control

Naivas Supermarket, one of Kenya’s largest retail chains, is facing escalating public criticism over food safety concerns as customers continue to report finding moldy and expired products on its shelves.

These complaints persist despite Nairobi County’s order for temporary closure of all the supermarket’s outlets in the capital just last week.

On May 14, Nairobi County’s Health Committee ordered the closure of all Naivas outlets in the city following an impromptu inspection at the Moi Avenue branch.

The inspection uncovered expired yogurt and products lacking proper labeling.

Committee leader MCA Maurice Ochieng cited serious public health violations, including untested food handlers, as grounds for the closure.

“We will not sit back, and we are urging Suzzane Silantoi (County Chief Health Officer) to move with speed and ensure that Nairobians are safe with food because most of these facilities have expired products,” Ochieng stated.

While Naivas has characterized these incidents as isolated, the growing volume of complaints from customers across different branches suggests a potentially more widespread problem.

Fresh complaints emerge

In the latest incident, a customer who purchased queen cakes from Naivas’ Tilisi branch along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway discovered visible mold despite the product being well within its labeled shelf life.

The customer shared their experience on social media platform X, posting a photo of the moldy cakes and a screenshot of their unanswered complaint to Naivas.

“Hi Nyakundi. Seems the story about Naivas selling expired or moldy food is true. I bought queen cakes at Naivas Gitaru, and they were spoiled,” wrote the customer in a post shared by blogger Cyprian Nyakundi.

Pattern of complaints across branches

The complaints are not limited to Nairobi. Social media user @Hammurabi_Ke alleged that “sausages, chicken, brawn at Naivas Kapsabet are always expired! Let anyone go to their freezer and confirm whether I am lying!”

Another user, @oloojl, recounted purchasing stale bones for soup despite the package indicating they had been packed that same day.

“Last week I bought bones for soup in one of their outlets and realized that they were stale, though the date was ok… This is a health hazard.”

Some customers have highlighted concerns about Naivas’ promotional practices. User @Moh_Mumbi noted, “Any food items with orange stickers or ‘buy one get one free’ are almost always expired, basic knowledge.” This suggests that promotional tactics may be masking products nearing their expiration dates, potentially misleading customers.

Quality control questions

Naivas’ own supplier evaluation process, as outlined on their website, emphasizes rigorous quality checks, including ensuring products are KEBS-approved and have proper barcodes.

However, the gap between this policy and the reality experienced by customers raises questions about the effectiveness of their oversight.

“Naivas can’t keep blaming ‘isolated incidents’ when complaints keep coming from different branches. Moldy cakes, expired goods, poor labeling—this is a system failure. Kenyans deserve better. Fix your quality control. Own up. Be transparent,” one user wrote.

Some observers have suggested alternative explanations for the quality issues. Ian Mwangi questioned whether the problems might stem from “active sabotage” by competitors or dissatisfied employees.

While sabotage remains a possibility, the recurring nature of complaints across multiple locations points to potential systemic issues in Naivas’ supply chain and quality control processes.

With over 30 branches in Nairobi alone—including high-traffic locations like Kilimani, Westlands, and Kasarani—the scale of the issue could have significant implications for public health.

As Naivas awaits medical certification for its staff and a thorough investigation into its suppliers, as mandated by the county, consumers are expressing growing distrust in the supermarket’s food safety practices.

There are suggestions for consumers to avoid purchasing fresh products like meat and cakes from Naivas, suggesting instead to “buy from a local butchery where they hang a whole carcass of meat & u can see actual movement of customers in & out.”

For now, Nairobi consumers are demanding accountability from a retail giant that has long been a staple in their daily lives. Whether Naivas can effectively address these allegations and rebuild consumer trust remains to be seen, but the spotlight on their food safety practices isn’t dimming anytime soon.