In a high profile destruction of counterfeits event, the Agency destroyed counterfeit goods worth approximately Kshs.24.5 million at Envirosafe Waste Handlers, EPZ grounds in Athi-River Machakos County.

The destruction was the culmination of a series of activities including investigations, seizures and dispute resolution in courts of law and through alternate dispute resolution. The value of goods destroyed was based on the current value of the genuine version.

The destruction was presided over by the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Mr. Adan Mohammed, EGH, assisted by the Principal Secretary State Department for Investments and Industry Mr. Nduati Mwagi. It was also graced by a number of ACA Board of Directors. The ED of ACA, Mr. Halake led the ACA team.

The destroyed goods included food products, stationery, and alcoholic beverages. Some of them pose a danger to the society and may result into fires, accidents, machine breakages, deaths, as well as environmental degradation. They included ball bearings worth Kshs 10.2 million from SKF that are used in moving parts of most appliances. Others were electronics and electrical goods, clothing, cosmetics/detergents, petroleum products, and vehicle spare parts.

Speaking at the event, the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Mr. Adan Mohammed said the government was concerned with increasing counterfeiting of consumer goods including medicine. “All these pose a health and safety hazard to our people. It is therefore inevitable that for the sake of health and safety ‘we must work together’, let us all take our responsibility towards winning this war,” said the Cabinet Secretary.