‘The Market will be counterfeit free’-CS Miano

Investment, Trade & Industrialization Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has vowed that the government will continue raiding all shops selling ant counterfeit goods warning that all those caught will face full force of the law.

Miano who spoke in the wake of the ongoing raids done by Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) in various parts of the country said the government has taken a deliberate decision to ensure that all fake goods are removed from the market as a way of protecting genuine manufacturers.

“We are going to be firm from now . What most Kenyans don’t know is that these products are detrimental to health. To promote good trade, more raids are going to be done until we leave a market is clean,” she said.

Miano advised producers and manufacturers in the country to patent their brand so that they are legally protected from being counterfeited.

“ We want to have a collaboration that will see us work together with every stakeholder. Kenyans should be on the watch out. Most of these items appear cheap but they are not of good quality. It is better to spend more money on something that will last rather than always going back to the shop for the same product,” she said.

Going forward Miano sensitized business people to use Electronic Recordation declaration systems for those involved in importing.

Electronic Recordation systems are automated platforms used by customs administration for the management and processing of import data to enhance deficiency of customs operations.

There has been widespread distribution of counterfeit products, with manufacturers in various letters now calling on the anti-counterfeit agency to swiftly help uphold the integrity of the market. Protecting unsuspecting customers by enforcing intellectual property rights and ensuring the welfare of consumers is invaluable.

The counterfeiting scandal involves imitation of Yamaha brands and non-Yamaha products, such as those of Peavey Company, Crest Audio products, Beringer products, JBL products, Nexo products, and Wharfedale products.

The counterfeiters are accused of affixing the trademark to original products that fall outside the range of products officially produced by various companies.

“This misrepresentation is damaging both to consumers who may unknowingly purchase substandard goods and to Yamaha’s brand image. Affected products are Yamaha-branded microphones, drumsticks, powered mixers, Yamaha Analogue mixers, Yamaha branded guitars, branded drums, branded amplifiers, and branded loudspeakers,” Yamaha said in a statement.

The companies are now calling on the government, through the anti-counterfeit agency, to take appropriate administrative and statutory actions to address the matter promptly.

“There has been an increase in the number of JBL products being imported into Kenya, and would like to ask for your assistance and support in order to eradicate the above-stated menace currently prevailing in the market. Help us maintain the quality and good name of our cherished brand, which has been painstakingly built for many years,” JBL added in a statement.