Anti Counterfeit Agency- ACA officers have decried influx of fake shoes and clothes from China in Kenyan markets.
Speaking in Nakuru after seizing counterfeit shoes worth millions of shillings, the officers led by ACA Inspector Thomas Ramogi, he accused businesspeople of condoning the business.
Ramogi indicated that, the owner of Shikanisha Enterprises along Kenyatta Avenue have a tendency of restocking counterfeit products despite their effort to curb the vice.
This is the second swoop in the same shop where a case is ongoing in court.
The officers netted the counterfeit Timberland, Puma, Nike, Adidas and Jeep products.
He said that they have been conducting a week long operation that aims at arresting and prosecuting rogue business people who are selling counterfeited goods.
“Most of this fake goods are emanating mostly from China whereby rogue traders import by mis-declaring them,” he added.
He said that the owner of the shop identified as Paul Kihara was co-operative in giving them information and will be charged with selling and displaying counterfeit goods.
He said that the vice is common in the country but the agency was working had to curb the same.
He said that the same was contributing to collapse of local industries leading to lying off of many workers.
“The country is losing billions of shillings to counterfeiters and also contributes to collapse of industries. Porous borders and lack of enough officers led to infiltration of counterfeit.” He said.
He called on traders to ensure that they sell genuine products in order to avoid landing into the wrong hands of the law.
Shikanisha is one of the biggest clothes and footwear shop in Nakuru. Meanwhile, the owner has accused the officers of targeting him unfairly indicating that many businesspeople are selling the products and they only confiscate his wares.
He decried that, last time, he lost goods worth Sh 1.5 million.