Dealers in fake goods to face full force of law

Traders and dealers of counterfeit goods will face the full force of the law if caught, an Anti-Counterfeit Agency official has warned.

Assistant director Agnes Karingu said the agency was working with manufacturers and entrepreneurs to rid the country of counterfeits.

“Through partnership with the private sector, we have trained our personnel to detect counterfeit goods,” she added.

The agency has also trained its own prosecutors, who are yet to be gazetted, to deal with more than 30 cases under investigation, she said at Mkomani grounds during the Mombasa International Show.

Genuine products

On counterfeit cell phones and computer software chips, the director said they were working with Nokia, Microsoft and HP to ensure Kenyans got genuine products.

“The war is on against such goods. We are working with the Kenya Revenue Authority and the Kenya Bureau of Standards to stop them from being sold here,” she said.

According to the Kenya Association of Manufacturers the government loses Sh19 billion in tax annually, while the private sector loses Sh50 billion in sales.

Mrs Karingu said products targeted for counterfeiting were fast moving consumer goods such as soaps, detergents, food and alcohol.

The global counterfeit industry was worth US $650 billion in 2008.