A legal battle unfolding thousands of kilometers away in San Francisco, California, could soon ripple through Kenyan kitchens and wallets. The city has filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against some of the world's largest food and beverage companies—including Coca-Cola, Nestle, and Kellogg—accusing them of creating a public health crisis through the deceptive marketing of addictive ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

This lawsuit strikes at the heart of a global, multi-billion dollar industry and raises urgent questions for Kenyans. As these same products fill supermarket shelves from Meru to Mombasa, the nation is grappling with its own escalating crisis of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, which now account for 39% of all deaths in the country.

A Global Fight with Local Consequences

San Francisco's City Attorney, David Chiu, alleges that companies knowingly engineered and marketed foods designed to be "cheap, colorful, flavorful, and addictive." These products, such as sugary cereals, sodas, and packaged snacks, are industrial formulations often containing artificial additives, sweeteners, and preservatives not found in a typical home kitchen. The lawsuit claims these corporations mimicked the playbook of tobacco companies by targeting children and vulnerable communities, profiting immensely while leaving taxpayers to bear the healthcare costs.

The health implications are severe. Major international studies have directly linked high consumption of UPFs to at least 32 harmful health effects, including a 50% increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a significantly higher risk of type 2 diabetes and depression. In the UK and US, these foods already make up more than half of the average diet.

The Kenyan Health Alert

While processed food consumption in Kenya is lower than in Western nations, it is rising rapidly. One 2025 report noted that consumption of packaged foods grew by 23% between 2017 and 2023. This trend coincides with alarming health statistics:

• Non-communicable diseases now cause over half of all in-patient hospital admissions in Kenya.
• Obesity rates have tripled since 2000, with 45% of women and 19% of men now considered overweight or obese.
• Studies show that nearly half of all advertisements around Kenyan schools are for ultra-processed foods, often using cartoon characters to appeal to children.

The Kenyan government is not standing still. The Ministry of Health has sounded the alarm, with recent reports indicating that up to 90% of packaged foods sold in the country fail to meet recommended nutritional standards. In response, officials have launched the Kenya Nutrient Profile Model, a system designed to introduce mandatory, bold front-of-pack warning labels on products high in sugar, salt, or fat. "This model enables Kenyans to make healthier dietary choices," noted Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni.

As the San Francisco lawsuit proceeds, it will undoubtedly fuel the debate in Kenya about corporate responsibility and public health. Health advocates argue that for a nation already fighting a double burden of malnutrition, the unchecked proliferation of cheap, nutrient-poor foods poses a ticking time bomb for the healthcare system and the economy. The outcome of the US case could set a powerful precedent, empowering governments worldwide to hold manufacturers accountable for the true cost of their products.