Kenya’s Anti-Counterfeit Authority and Ugandan Anti-Counterfeit Network Africa (CAN) held a meeting today “to exchange ideas on how better to improve collaboration in the fight against counterfeit trade with a major call for regional cooperation to tackle the problem”. ACN is a not-for-profit registered entity in Uganda that aims to bridge the intervention gaps between the multiple stakeholders that affect and are being affected by counterfeits and illicit trade. 

The meeting was a follow-up of previous efforts between the two organization in the last five years. The Anti-Counterfeit Authority was involved in the sensitization of Ugandan Members of Parliament on the Kenyan preparedness in the war against counterfeiting and for the MPs to champion the fight against counterfeits and energize the legislative call for stronger and more responsive anti-counterfeit measures and laws in Uganda. 

In his opening remarks, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority Executive Director Dr. Robi Njoroge Mbugua emphasized the need for regional collaboration saying Kenya and Uganda shared a number of problems arising from international trade, transshipment of Good through the port and at boarder points. He noted that while regional trade is beneficial to the two countries, counterfeit and other forms of illicit trade are a serious challenge and should be dealt with. 

Dr. Robi added that Kenya has a number of legal instruments for protecting intellectual property (IP) rights holders and to promote regional legitimate trade. He said that IP protection is anchored in the Kenyan Constitution, in International Agreements and Statutes, and a number of Kenyan Laws and Government policy on mulita-agency collaboration.  

“Kenya has one of the progressive constitutions in the region directing the Government to support, protect and promote Intellectual Property Rights (Article 40 (5), Article 260 of Kenya Constitution 2010).  Kenya also recognizes International treaties under World Trade organization and the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)”. He added.  

The Anti-Counterfeit Network Africa Director for Legal and Corporate Affairs. Mr. Fred Muwema echoed the collaboration message, emphasizing the need to bring on board regional countries and all interested parties into a network to boost in the fight against Counterfeiting. He said they had established the “League of the Genuine (LoG)” that symbolizing the coming together of all players including government agencies, traders, and consumers into a commitment to eliminate counterfeiting. 

Sharing the Ugandan experience, Mr. Muwema said that Ugandan government did not have a dedicated government agency dealing with counterfeiting and that the ACN was a private sector initiative to bridge the gap. He said “The fight against counterfeit trade in Uganda takes the shape of Private Public Partnership. It is a multi-sectoral partnership of national and international organizations and agencies such as USAID, European Union, Uganda Ministry for Agriculture and the regulator of the Communications sector”.  

He concluded his remarks by stating that ACN had petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) to declare counterfeiting of certain commodities to be a crime against humanity; and to be at the same level with terrorism. He argued that counterfeiting is a threat to human existence. He stated that the main challenge with doing the petition is that ACN is not a member state of ICC and therefore welcomed any assistance to push through the petition.