The National Council on the Administration of Justice has sounded an alarm over the presence of many counterfeit goods in the market that deny the government revenue.
The council's chairman Mr Abddulqadir Lorot said the Kenya Revenue Authority is unable to meet its target due to such illicit goods in the market.
Lorot said Kenyan business people are also feeling the pinch since most of their products have been overshadowed by the cheap counterfeits.
“Eveready batteries closed shop because of counterfeits and many businesses were lost as a result of this vice,” he said.
Speaking in Kisumu on Thursday during the launch of an enforcement manual to combat illicit trade in Kenya, Lorot called for coordinated approach among the enforcement departments to address the issue.
He said illicit goods is linked to many criminal activities including funding terrorism especially Al Shabab group in the neighboring Somalia.
Lorot also called for change to perception of the consumers who believe in counterfeit goods.
“The problem also lies with the consumers, they tend to purchase counterfeit goods without knowing the danger they are putting themselves in,” he said.
He further made a revelation that 40 per cent of malaria drugs in the country are fake and called for enforcement officers to rein in the pharmaceutical sector to get rid of the counterfeits.