Inside cosmetics black market controlled by shady traders

A female about to get a full facial treatment. Kebs has raised an alarm on the high contraband beauty products in Kenya. [File, Standard]

Every day, thousands of Kenyans throng stalls on Dubois Road in Nairobi to buy ‘cheap’ beauty products. 

During peak hours – between 9am and 4pm – the corridors lining the stalls that make the infamous ‘Dubois beauty stores’ are chaotic. Customers yell to catch the attention of merchants who are often buried behind huge boxes containing counterfeited products of top brands such as Mac, Milani, Urban Decay among other bestselling products.