Kenyan fake goods trade worth $800m a year

The Kenyan Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA) reports the country’s trade in fake products totals around $800m a year.

Medicines, electronics, CDs, software, alcoholic drinks, mobile phones and farm inputs make up a lot of the counterfeit trade in Kenya. The fake goods industry now rivals major foreign exchange earners like tourism, tea and horticulture, Business Daily reports.

Stephen Mallowah, the ACA's chief executive, told the newspaper: "The tragedy of the counterfeiting story is that it is an underworld crime that leads to crime advancement." The ACA is working with the UK, US and other countries on an awareness campaign to warn consumers about fake goods.

Unilever, Samsung and other companies active in East Africa are also supporting the campaign. By showing industry it has the counterfeit situation under control, Kenya hopes to make itself a more attractive destination for investment.

Since 2010 the ACA has processes 177 complaints, and successfully prosecuted 47 cases. The prosecutions targeted counterfeit operations worth a total of $7.5m, the agency claims.