Nairobi, Jan. 14 -- Italian firm Guala Closures SpA, which supplies closures for wines, spirits, and glass-bottled water, plans to acquire a 47-year-old Kenyan firm specialising in the manufacture and sale of plastic caps and metal crowns.

Guala has applied for regulatory clearance to acquire a 100 percent stake in Metal Crowns Limited (Kenya) at a yet-to-be-disclosed price. The Metal Crowns stake is held by Mantiax Investments Limited.

The proposed transaction has been notified to the Comesa Competition Commission, which has launched a formal inquiry into the deal. Completion of the transaction will allow Guala to enter the plastic closures market for non-alcoholic beverages, complementing its current portfolio.

"The parties submitted...