A hearing scheduled for October 19 will determine who has the right to represent Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark in Kenyan court proceedings. Some 2,863 petitioners are challenging whether Procter & Gamble Distribution East Africa Limited can act on behalf of Procter & Gamble, the global manufacturer and trademark owner. A similar question has been raised about Kimberly-Clark South Africa (Pty) Ltd's role in the case. The petitioners, represented by Joseph Mwai Advocates, have asked the High Court to clarify whether the local entities have formal authority to represent their foreign parent companies.
The petitioners' legal team said they had filed multiple applications since 2024 to resolve the authority question before the court addresses the main claims in the dispute.