The Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) has announced intensified nationwide operations targeting counterfeit alcohol, tobacco, agricultural inputs and school stationery ahead of the festive season and planting period.
Addressing the press in Nairobi on Thursday, ACA Board chairperson Nelson Ributhi Gaichuhie said the authority would strengthen enforcement to protect consumers, farmers, students and legitimate businesses from the risks posed by counterfeit goods.
The crackdown follows the seizure of thousands of suspected counterfeit alcoholic products, illicit brew and illegally repackaged fertiliser in operations conducted across the country.
Between August 20 and September 3, 2026, a multi-agency operation in high-risk areas of Nairobi resulted in 36 arrests and apprehensions, the recovery of more than 5,555 suspected counterfeit bottles and approximately 39,580 litres of illicit brew.
Dagoretti North accounted for about 27,330 litres of the recovered illicit alcohol, while more than 5,000 bottles were seized in Kayole and 868 assorted alcoholic beverages in Eastleigh.
On September 15, ACA officers working with police seized 8,459 suspected counterfeit alcoholic products valued at approximately Sh2.1 million in Makindu. Further seizures in Nairobi, Nyeri and Eldoret brought the value of goods recovered during September to about Sh3.74 million.
Gaichuhie said the authority would also step up operations against counterfeit tobacco and nicotine products, including cigarettes bearing imitations of registered brands, forged excise stamps, electronic cigarettes, vapes and refill liquids.
He warned that such products are manufactured outside regulatory oversight, making it difficult to verify their contents, while their trade deprives the government of revenue and undermines legitimate manufacturers.
The authority will work with the Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Ministry of Health and brand owners to strengthen enforcement in the sector.
In the agricultural sector, officers last Friday seized illegally repackaged fertiliser in Matungu, Kakamega County, alongside two loaded lorries and industrial packaging equipment.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the fertiliser had been diverted from the government subsidy programme and repackaged in counterfeit branded bags for sale at commercial prices.
Gaichuhie said the alleged scheme undermined the government’s efforts to make farm inputs affordable to farmers.
The crackdown will also target pirated textbooks, revision materials and counterfeit calculators and mathematical sets as candidates sit their national examinations.
According to the authority, pirated learning materials may contain errors, omissions or outdated information, while counterfeit mathematical instruments may fail to meet required accuracy standards.
ACA plans to increase inspections of bookshops, stationery wholesalers and suppliers serving schools to prevent the sale of substandard and pirated learning materials.
Gaichuhie said the coming weeks would see increased demand for alcohol, tobacco, foodstuffs and personal care products due to the festive season, while the planting season would raise demand for fertiliser.
He urged consumers to purchase products from licensed and reputable outlets, check seals and packaging, and verify excise stamps and standardisation marks through official channels.
Farmers were advised to obtain subsidised fertiliser only through authorised distribution channels, while parents and schools were urged to source learning materials from authorised publishers and suppliers.
Members of the public can report suspected counterfeit products through the authority’s official reporting channels or at any ACA regional office. The authority said information provided would be handled confidentially.
“Counterfeiters should not expect a holiday from enforcement,” Gaichuhie said.
