ACA on the front line against trade in counterfeits

The Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA) held the global commemoration of the World Anti-Counterfeiting Day(WACD) in Nairobi on 26th June 2018 through a series of awareness activities. The day started with a stakeholders’ grand march along the streets of Nairobi from the Agency’s headquarters along Dunga Road, Industrial area to Laico Hotel in Central Business District of Nairobi.

This was followed by a public–private sector interactive symposium with participants drawn from policy makers and implementers in the public sector, and the private sector.
The symposium gathered close to 300 people in a conference themed: ‘Combating Counterfeiting: A National Priority in catalyzing the ‘Big Four Agenda’ in Kenya!

Speaking at the event the Principal Secretary, State Department of Trade Dr. Chris Kiptoo Said, “Trade in counterfeits is a threat to every one- the government, manufacturers as well as public health. It has reached a particularly worrying level in recent years and it affects every Nation’. He reiterated that there is need for greater coordination both at the local level and international level by of all stakeholders.

The Agency has been at the forefront of this fight against the sale of counterfeits in the country.

The Day

The WACD Day was created in 1998 by the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group (GACG) with the main objective being to facilitate information exchange and sharing of best practices, and to participate in appropriate joint enforcement and awareness activities to solve international IPR enforcement challenges.

A call for a networked approach

“The approach chosen by the government is multi-pronged. “Internally, it is a question of uniting the efforts of all the internal stakeholders concerned with this matter: The Government agencies, Manufacturing, gathering all of them in a cross-functional working group.” Said Dr. Chris Kiptoo.

Similar sentiments were shared by Mrs. Betty Maina, the Principal Secretary, State Department of Industry, who pointed out that “Our efforts are nothing without cooperation with the consumer. Thus, this war must work within a network of external contacts towards joint-action particularly through consumer organizations in the country”.

Present at the event to represent the private sector was the Chairman of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Chairlady, Mrs. Florah Mutahi. She appreciated recent government efforts in the war against illicit trade saying “Counterfeits are a threat to the future of this country. The task force interventions are now bearing fruit. The manufacturing sector will continue to work with the government to ensure counterfeits are this trade is won”.