Counterfeit and illicit trade imposes a cost on our country that cannot be measured in money alone. It is borne by the farmer whose harvest fails because of counterfeit inputs, by the consumer exposed to dangerous alcohol, by the student relying on substandard learning materials and by families whose health is put at risk.
The Authority’s recent operations show the scale of the counterfeit alcohol trade. Between 20 August and 3 September 2026, a multi-agency Rapid Results Initiative across high-risk areas of Nairobi reported 36 arrests and apprehensions, more than 5,555 suspected counterfeit bottles and approximately 39,580 litres of illicit brew. In Dagoretti North alone, approximately 27,330 litres of illicit alcohol were recovered. More than 5,000 bottles were seized in Kayole, and 868 assorted alcoholic beverages in Eastleigh.
On 15 September, officers of the Authority working with the police seized 8,459 suspected counterfeit alcoholic products valued at approximately KSh 2.1 million in Makindu. Further seizures in Nairobi, Nyeri and Eldoret brought the value of goods recovered in September to approximately KSh 3.74 million.
The Authority’s enforcement also extends to counterfeit tobacco and related products. These include cigarettes bearing imitations of registered brands and forged excise stamps, as well as counterfeit nicotine products, electronic cigarettes, vapes, refill liquids, rolling papers and filters. These products are manufactured outside regulatory oversight, so their contents cannot be verified. Their trade also results in loss of Government revenue and undermines legitimate manufacturers. The Authority will intensify enforcement in this sector together with KRA, KEBS, the Ministry of Health and rights holders.
In agriculture, officers last Friday seized illegally repackaged fertiliser in Matungu, Kakamega County, together with two loaded lorries and industrial packaging equipment. Preliminary investigations indicate that the fertiliser had been diverted from the Government subsidy programme and repackaged in counterfeit branded bags for sale at commercial prices. Fertiliser intended to make farming affordable for ordinary Kenyans was instead being sold for private profit.
With candidates now sitting their national examinations, the Authority is also targeting pirated textbooks and revision materials, as well as counterfeit calculators and mathematical sets bearing imitations of registered brands and publishers. Pirated materials may contain errors, omissions or outdated content, and counterfeit calculators and mathematical sets may not meet the required standards of accuracy. Stationery was among the highest-value categories of goods in the Authority’s most recent destruction exercise. Officers will step up inspections of bookshops, stationery wholesalers and suppliers serving schools.
Over the coming weeks, demand for alcohol, tobacco, foodstuffs and personal care products will rise with the festive season, while the planting season will increase demand for fertiliser. I am therefore announcing that the Anti-Counterfeit Authority is intensifying its countrywide enforcement operations, with particular emphasis on counterfeit and illicit alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products, foodstuffs, school stationery and learning materials, and agricultural inputs.
I urge members of the public to buy these products only from licensed and reputable outlets. Check seals, labels and packaging, and verify excise stamps and standardisation marks through official channels. Farmers should buy subsidised fertiliser only through authorised channels. Parents and schools should source learning materials from authorised publishers and suppliers. Suspected counterfeit products can be reported through the Authority’s official channels or at any ACA regional office, and all information will be handled confidentially.
Counterfeiters should not expect a holiday from enforcement.
