Factors Influencing the Level of Awareness and Knowledge of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) among Household Consumers in Nairobi County, Kenya: A Case Study of Southlands Estate, Lang’ata

Abstract

Customers are very important when it comes to discussing or voicing their concerns or dissatisfaction with a product before steps are taken to fix it. This necessitates that customers are aware of their rights in relation to complaint procedures so that they can take appropriate action in accordance with the regulations. To prevent the exploitation of Kenyan consumers, the Consumer Protection Act was passed. However, Kenyans continue to encounter deceptive advertisements, unethical business practices, inflated electricity and water bills, and lack of product information, among other business malpractices. Thus, this study sought to investigate factors influencing the level of awareness and knowledge of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) among household consumers in Nairobi County with a focus on Southlands Estate, Langa’ta. The specific objectives are; to evaluate the influence of culture and ii) to assess the influence of the nature of the law on household consumers’ level of awareness and knowledge of CPA. Descriptive research methods were used for the study. The 417 respondents were drawn from the Southlands Estate in Lang'ata and were the primary focus of the survey. Simple random sampling was used to choose a total of 42 participants for the study. The questionnaire was the primary source of information. SPSS was used to analyse the quantitative data. Relationship testing between culture, the type of the law, and the dependant variable was performed using inferential statistics (level of awareness and knowledge of the Consumer Protection Act among household consumers). The model summary revealed that culture and nature of law contribute 44% to household consumers’ level of awareness and knowledge of the Consumer Protection Act. The study results indicate a positive and significant relationship between culture, the nature of law and household consumers’ awareness and knowledge of CPA. The study recommends that customers must therefore raise their degree of awareness in order to engage in rational purchasing behaviour and make informed decisions. There is also a need for sensitising consumers to the content in the Consumer Protection Act.