News and Events

When: Thursday 20th June 2019 is set for commemoration of World Anti-Counterfeit Day in Kenya.

Who: To mark this day Government Agencies involved in the multi-agency approach against counterfeiting and illicit trade as well as brand owners are coming together to debate the threats from the manufacture and trade in counterfeits at the Export Processing Zones Authority grounds Athi River between 8.30 AM and 1.30 PM.

Event: During the commemorations, we will have the opportunity to launch the National Anti-Illicit Trade Action Plan 2019/22 Action Plan with the climax of the day being the destruction of counterfeit goods with an estimated value of Ksh 23.8 Million at the Enviro Safe site within EPZA grounds, Athi River.

Invited Guests

• Cabinet Secretary - Ministry of Trade Industry & Co-operatives – Hon. Peter Munya, EGH
• Principal Secretary - State Department for Trade, Ministry of Trade Industry & Co-operatives – Dr. Chris Kiptoo, CB
• Principal Secretary – State Department of Investment and Industry, Ministry of Trade Industry & Co-operatives- Ms. Betty Maina, MBS
• CEOs of various organizations and business associations in public in private sectors
• Stakeholders from both public and private sectors as well as consumer representatives

About World Anti-Counterfeit Day 2019

The World Anti Counterfeit Day (WACD) was initiated 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. This year the GACG commemorated the day on 6th June 2019; while other countries all over the world follow suit within the month of June.

The Authority has partnered with Kenya Bureau of Standards in joint innovation centered workshops whose objective is to provide MSMEs with a one stop shop of information in order to give them access to knowledge on business processes, standardization and industrialization in Kenya and internationally. The theme of the workshops is: MSME Development and Trade Facilitation.

The workshops are organized with presentations from other government agencies from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives and other relevant regulators and business financiers. Among them are Ken-Invest, ACA, Youth Fund, The Jua Kali Federation, ICDC and EPZ among others.

The first in a series of eight workshops planned across the country started in Nairobi and headed to Garissa County last week in North-Eastern Kenya. The conference was attended by participants and speakers from SMEs and start-ups, industry, public institution, and regulatory Agencies from the region.

In her welcome addresses, M/s. Zeyana M. Abdullah the Marketing and Communication Manager at the KEBS, underlined the need to raise awareness among businesses of the value of innovation and the route to fruitful commercialization with a particular focus on increased industrialization in the country.

"We have to stay in a dialogue with all of the actors of the innovation ecosystem in order to jointly address the challenges and opportunities that are in the country to achieve the Big 4 Agenda as well as Vision 2030," Zeyana M. Abdullah said.

Several presenters from Government regulatory agencies shared their mandates and discussed ways of assistance to the start-up groups. The conference also delved deeper into legal aspects and looked at regulations and licenses needed that can affect the future commercialization of an invention.

The Cabinet Secretary for Industry, Trade & Cooperatives in exercise of the powers bestowed upon him by the provisions of Section 37 of the Anti-Counterfeit Act has proposed amendments to the Anti-Counterfeit Regulations, 2010.

The Cabinet Secretary invites all stakeholders to give their input to the draft Anti-Counterfeit {Amendment} Regulations, 2019 and the draft Anti-Counterfeit {Recordation} Regulations, 2019 in accordance with the requirements of the Statutory Instruments Act and the Constitution on public participation.

A consultative forum has been scheduled to be held at The Boma Hotel Nairobi on 16th May 2019 starting at 8:30AM.

The aforesaid draft Regulations may be downloaded from the website of the Anti-Counterfeit Authority www.aca.go.ke. Any comment, enquiry or concern can be sent via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or SMS/WhatsApp on 0707 967 057.

Download the draft Anti-Counterfeit {Amendment} Regulations, 2019.

Download the draft Anti-Counterfeit {Recordation} Regulations, 2019

More than KSH 10 million worth of Counterfeit Samsung Phones plus accessories have been seized from a sting counterfeit mobile phone operation by Inspectors from Anti-Counterfeit Authority. The officers raided several seven mobile phone outlets in downtown Nairobi along Mfangano Street and seized 213 counterfeit mobile phones. The street is graded as a notorious hotspot for selling counterfeits in the city. The operation which was conducted in collaboration with the Anti-Illicit Trade Agency Limited, the appointed Samsung Brand Protection Agency.

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Factory found packaging fake ‘Golden Ngano’ home baking floor a Trademark of Uzuri Food K Ltd.

ACA Inspectors on Thursday 21st March 2019 following a complaint filed by Uzuri Food K Ltd raided and shut down a factory in Runyenjes Town, Embu County. Over 25 Tons of counterfeit home baking wheat flour and 23,500 pieces of packaging materials worth over Ksh10 million were seized. Two people including the owner were arrested and will be charged with manufacturing counterfeit goods contrary to section 32 of the Anti-Counterfeit Act 2008.

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Event on the validation of the First National Strategy to combat illicit trade for the next five years. 

The validation forum follows the need for a structured engagement within government agencies and the private sector in the fight against illicit trade took place on 5th March 2019 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Nairobi. 

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Award comes at a time when ACA has recently been elevated to a full Authority in December 2018, as per the Statutes Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2018

Nairobi, Tuesday 29th January 2019. The Anti-Counterfeit Authority was today recognized by Dolby Laboratories Inc. for the agency’s efforts in enhancing the protection of intellectual property rights.

The recognition comes at a time when the government, through the State Department of Trade has ramped up its efforts to combat illicit trade, through the Multi - Agency Anti-Illicit Trade Outreach (MAAITO). The multi-agency team coordinated from the Office of the President under the Deputy Head of Public Service, Mr. Wanyama Musiambo. This has seen building of synergizes and coordinated efforts of the different stakeholders with more than Ksh. 80 billion worth of illicit goods seized over a period of 4 months between June-September 2018.

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The Executive Director of the Anti-Counterfeit Agency under the invitation of the Anti-Counterfeit Network based in Kampala attended the 1st CEO Structured Dialogue on COunterfeits. The event was graced by the chief justice of Uganda and CEOs from both public and private sector institutions with some of the participants coming from outside East Africa, more specifically Zimbabwe.

During the event anti-counterfeit resolutions that centre around legislation, regulation, enforcement, technology and communication were signed by various stakeholders.

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The Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA) has today signed a financing agreement worth US Dollars One Million Five Hundred Thousand ($1,500,000) towards supporting digitalisation of its operations and services. The funding comes from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) channeled through TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), who will provide technical and project financing support to the Agency with the aim to better and efficiently serve their stakeholders nationally, regionally and globally. 

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We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs. Flora Mutahi as the new Chairperson and member to our Board of Directors. This was effective as of Friday, July, 13, 2018. She takes over from Mr. Pradeep Paunrana.

Mrs. Flora Mutahi is a Kenyan accountant, entrepreneur and corporate executive. She is the Chairperson of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers a position she has held since July 2016 and the first woman to occupy that office as the Chairperson. She is also the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Melvin Marsh International Limited, the manufacturer of Melvin’s Tea, a Kenyan brand.

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