All imported goods will now have to undergo an intellectual property rights check in a bid by the government to combat counterfeit goods.
In a statement by the Anti-counterfeit Authority (ACA) on Wednesday, June 15, it was announced that the new regulations would help the State tame the influx of counterfeit goods in the country.
The agency revealed that they had already built a system that will help the government enforce the new regulations.
"According to the regulations, anyone importing goods into Kenya to which registered IP rights apply will have to record their goods with the ACA," read the statement in part.
In the new system, manufacturers will be required to send samples of the products to ACA which will then be used to determine whether a product is legit or authentic.
"It will involve the creation of a database of IPR information relating to trademarks for all goods to be imported into Kenya.
"This information will be made available on the authority’s public system and shall be used by ACA inspectors and other law enforcement officers at the various points of entry, to prevent the entry of counterfeit imports into Kenya" Senior Records Officer Ms. Rachel Mutisya stated.
On his part, Deputy Head of public service Wanyama Musiambo noted that it was necessary for the government to enforce the new regulations efficiently given the health hazards many Kenyans had been exposed to.
He added that the influx of counterfeit goods had also cost the country revenue and affected most companies.
"Counterfeits and sub-standard goods not only posed health and safety risks to the public but the loss of government revenue.
"It is four years since President Uhuru Kenyatta issued an Executive Order No.1/ of 2018 directing the formation of a task force to combat illicit. The team has seized goods worth over Ksh13.5 billion and destroyed worth Ksh3 billion."
According to a 2019 report by ACA, mobile phones were the most counterfeit goods in Kenya at 51 percent followed by alcohol.
Other goods included DVD players and bottled water.
