Over Sh58 million worth counterfeit goods have been destroyed by anti-counterfeit agency in Athi River town.
The destruction was conducted at Enviro-Safe Limited in Export Process Zone Authority on Monday.
Addressing the press shortly after destruction, Anti-Counterfeit Agency deputy executive director Agnes Karingu said the goods included assortment of mobile phones, sugar, music instruments, clothes, shoes, paints and electronics.
“Today, this is the second time we are here in Athi River Export Processing Zone not for trade and export promotion activity but for an adverse reason that arises in the course of trade and commercialization of our entrepreneurship. I welcome you here today to witness destruction of goods that have been made probably from similar grounds but for wrong reasons of counterfeiting,” said Karingu.
Karingu said the agency had seized and destroyed counterfeit items worth Sh1.4 billion and arrested 530 people across the country in the last four years.
She said out of the volume of goods, there are matters in several courts which are ongoing for goods worth Sh806 million.
Karingu said over the same period, goods worth Sh665 million were returned to the owners either because they were found to be genuine or the anti-counterfeit agency lost the case in court.
“We expect our enforcement mandate to increase forthwith following the opening of new offices in Kisumu, Eldoret and Garissa. We have also put more staff at our Mombasa office to increase surveillance at the port of Mombasa,” said Karingu.
She said the agency will open more offices at the borders of Malaba – Busia and Namanga by end of 2017/18 financial year.
Karingu said public –private partnerships are essential to their interests in fighting counterfeiting.
“This partnership critical for example to succeed in any prosecution of intellectual property case, we must prove ownership of intellectual property,” said Karingu.
Karingu said the agency was committed to ensure that counterfeited, illicit and pirated goods are kept away from unsuspecting consumers.
She said enforcement operations alone cannot tackle the counterfeiting threat hence called on relevant authorities and stakeholders to engage in public education and training to officers in criminal justice system.
Karingu said they had trained over 1000 participants from the law enforcement agencies including the police and border –post enforcing agencies in major towns and entry points.