One of the most sold cement brands ‘Simba Cement’ manufactured by National Cement Company is smarting from a messy online warfare reportedly financed by its’ competitors.
Video clips of underweight repackaged bags of branded Simba Cement, with no specific complainant, have been making rounds online for the better part of the week.
No one in those shady viral videos was willing to say they are the victims and or where such cement would have been shopped. Background voices in suspect places could only be heard raising doubts over the credibility of what was deceptively made to appear as if it was a scam from the manufacturer.
Cofek preliminary investigations revealed that some dealers are colluding with contractors to open and take off between 5kg to 10kg cement and seal again – in massive rip-off of developers.
A rejoinder from National Cement, on Friday, noted thus; “We at National cement Co Ltd would wish to inform all our esteemed clients that all our plants are using high-tech and state of the art fully automated plant machines and packers.
“Our customer’s those that are working with us trust our brand and are aware that our products, systems and our quality are our first top-most priority. We have all the necessary measures in place to have no any discrepancies
“We feel that someone somewhere is using social media to spread the wrong tactical propaganda video and messages for his/her/ their own benefit. Shame and a sign of cheapness to those that use such tactics to tarnish a known, recognized and in demand brand for their own benefit”, concluded the statement.
National Cement Company is a subsidiary of Devki Group of Companies. It has a reputation for good quality and affordability, countrywide.
Cofek has since written to the Competition Authority of Kenya and the Kenya Bureau of Standards seeking clarification of the intervention available whenever competitors use third parties to tarnish the image of other companies.
We have also required the management of National Cement Company Ltd to consider employing mystery shoppers and other intelligence gathering mechanisms on some of their unscrupulous sub-dealers who allow drivers and contractors to open and divert weights before the cement land on construction site.
Cofek has also asked consumers of cement, not only on this brand, to be careful on checking breakages and suspicious half-full cement bags.
We can confirm that National Cement Company etiquette and products meet the quality threshold of our endorsement. As such Cofek asks consumers of the product to ignore the malicious and ill-intended viral video clips.
We will be running social media awareness to educate cement consumers on telling a cement bag that is tampered with.
Members of the public with information on such theft and malicious negative publicity on different brands are encouraged to get in touch with us asap: or 0715555550