Kisumu, 18^th May 2022. 

The Anti-Counterfeit Authority Inspectors busted a motorbike assembling go-down and shop in Homabay Town and seized 54 suspected counterfeit Motorcycles worth Ksh. 7,020,000. The go-down and shop identified as Ndisimart Enterprises Ltd was assembling motorcycles going by the trademark counterfeit Bajaj Boxer which were passed off as original to unsuspecting customers. 

The raid followed a complaint lodged by Mr. Paul Ramara of Spoors and Fischer Law firm the Agents of the Indian origin brand of motorbikes. Upon receipt of his complaint that was made in the Kisumu Regional office, the ACA Inspectors raided the premises and managed to confirm the allegations. Mr. Ramara clarified that ‘All Bajaj Boxer Motorbikes are made in India as opposed to China as in this case’.   

Confirming the raid, the Kisumu and Western Kenya ACA Region Inspector Mr. Weldone Sigei said the raid was a great concern among motorcycle dealers and cyclists in the country. Investigations also established that the business had been in operation for some time.  Mr. Sigei cautioned cyclists saying that “Counterfeiting does not only cause economic harm and unfair business practice, it also defrauds consumers and poses danger to public safety”. He added that the usage of fake spare parts could be responsible for most vehicular accidents in the country. He advised traders to always sell genuine parts saying that dealers were critical stakeholders in ensuring safety on our roads. 

When asked how an ordinary consumer would know if the parts of a motorcycle are counterfeit or original, Mr.Sigei cautioned cyclist to buy motorbikes and spares from authorized dealers and beware of price discounts from suspicious sources. He added that consumers need to scrutinize products physically for unfamiliar packaging, misspelling of names or fonts or sound and vibrations produced by counterfeit parts. 

Mr. Paul Ramara the Bajaj/ Boxer Agent said that the original manufacturers had invested in Research and Development and studied how problems concerning counterfeit motorcycles or motor parts relate to accidents. He said that after disassembling a number of counterfeit or copycat motorcycles and studying their parts, it was discovered that the interiors were very rusty and the bolts were not firmly tightened so they tend to disengage easily and as such can pose accidents to users’.He added that “since counterfeit parts don’t usually confirm to safety and conformity to standards, there is a high likelihood that fake parts won’t work well like original and may not work well with other genuine parts”. This is a serious issue since these incompatibilities often result in motorcycles with inferior body structure and vibration and hence accidents and increased tear and wear costs.” 

Today, the influx of counterfeit automobile spare parts in the Kenyan local automobile industry has reached an all-time high, with motorists often being victim to dubious traders who sell them contrabands under the guise that the spare parts are indeed genuine. Car manufacturers in Kenya are increasingly showing their concern for the counterfeit invasion. Subaru Kenya had launched a campaign to sensitize motorists on the benefits of genuine spare parts. (Nation.co.ke June, 2011). 

A survey carried out by Toyota Kenya in June 2011 indicated that eight out of ten (10) vehicles in the country have at least one fake spare part. The survey was carried out at the firm’s dealerships spread across the country, on vehicles brought in for service within the company. This has eaten into its market share and putting motorists at risk in the country. Motor dealers in Kenya lost 65 percent of their market share to counterfeits in 2006, up from 50 percent in 2005. In addition, over 80 percent of Toyota parts in Kenya were found to be counterfeit. (Nation.co.ke June, 2011). 

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