The Competition Authority of Kenya has raided six foam mattress firms across four counties over suspected cartel-like practices.
Investigators seized electronic and physical records for analysis, citing concerns over price fixing and market coordination.
The regulator says the probe aims to protect consumers, noting that mattresses are essential goods used by millions of households across the country.
In a statement issued on March 31, 2026, in Nairobi, the authority said it carried out simultaneous search operations across four counties, Nairobi, Machakos, Kiambu and Kisumu, targeting six major firms in the sector.
The unannounced inspections, commonly referred to as dawn raids, resulted in the seizure of critical materials for forensic analysis.
“At the unannounced inspections, the Authority retrieved critical electronic and physical evidence for forensic analysis. These include hard disks and thumb drives, laptops, mobile phones, management reports, and sales records, among others,” the statement said.
According to the authority, the operations were conducted under provisions of the Competition Act, which grants investigators the power to enter premises and examine records where there is reasonable suspicion of anti-competitive conduct.
“Sections 31 & 32 of the Competition Act empower the Authority to enter the premises of persons believed to possess relevant information, and inspect goods, documents and records that are necessary to confirm the existence of restrictive trade practices,” it said.
Such practices may include abuse of dominance, collusive tendering, price fixing, and market or customer allocation.
The authority emphasised that dawn raids are a standard investigative tool designed to secure evidence that might otherwise be tampered with.
“Dawn raids secure credible evidence that is likely to be concealed, destroyed or altered if advance notice is given,” the statement added.
However, it clarified that the raids do not imply wrongdoing by the targeted firms.
“These exercises are not a confirmation of guilt or culpability, but are a key step in an ongoing investigation,” it said.
The investigation was triggered by intelligence gathered through market surveillance, pointing to possible cartel-like coordination among competitors in the foam mattress sector.
“The Authority’s intervention in the foam mattresses sector is supported by actionable intelligence, which pointed to suspected concerted practices of a cartel nature between competitors,” it noted.
Officials said measures were taken to ensure that the rights of affected businesses were respected during the operation.
“During the raids, the rights of the businesses, including access to legal representation, were upheld. Additionally, due care was taken to minimize business disruption,” the authority said.
Director-General David Kemei said the probe is aimed at protecting consumers from unfair market practices affecting essential goods.
“Foam mattresses are an essential household commodity, used by millions of Kenyan consumers. Our intervention seeks to establish whether collusive practices are undermining the affordability and accessibility of these products for ordinary households,” he said.
The authority indicated that investigations into such cases are complex and may take time, with no fixed statutory deadline for completion.
“Each matter is unique and subject to variable factors, including the number of parties involved, their level of cooperation, as well as the volume and complexity of the records under review,” it said.
Nonetheless, it reaffirmed its commitment to handling the process efficiently and fairly, in line with constitutional requirements.
“The Authority is cognizant of its obligation under the Constitution of Kenya to accord parties to an investigation fair administrative action that is expeditious, efficient, lawful, reasonable and procedural,” the statement said.
Following the analysis of the seized materials, the authority will determine the next course of action, including whether there has been a breach of competition laws.
“Upon reviewing the evidentiary information retrieved, the Authority shall make a decision on the next course of action with regard to the investigation,” it added.
Should violations be established, firms could face significant penalties.
“The Authority may also order parties found culpable to pay a financial penalty of up to 10% of their gross annual turnover,” it said.
Kemei noted that efforts to strengthen investigative capacity, including investment in forensic tools, are expected to speed up the process.
“This investigation is reasonably expected to take several months to complete. Our proactive measures, such as upskilling our case officers, installation of an in-house modern forensic laboratory, and thorough planning ahead of the searches, will improve the case completion time,” he said.
The authority also called on members of the public to report suspected anti-competitive behaviour in any sector.
