Kenya’s counterfeits: Agency tracks oil fraudsters

NAIROBI: The Anti-Counterfeit Agency has launched a major crackdown on the manufacture and sale of counterfeit lubricants in the country.

More than 10 people have been arrested and thousands of litres of fake oil seized in the operation targeting unscrupulous traders, dealers and manufacturers in the light industries of Nairobi’s Kariobangi and Industrial Area.

The joint operation with the Petroleum Institute of East Africa (PIEA) has led to the closure of two manufacturing sites found counterfeiting engine oils under the brand names Rimula, Lacheka, Galana and Rubia.

The agency said counterfeiters have claimed over 20 per cent share of the petroleum market, and advised dealers and stockists to buy genuine goods from appointed distributors and fully fledged petrol stations to avoid falling prey to criminals.

The operation comes barely two weeks after the agency recruited senior police officers from across the country to serve as inspectors and bolster the war against counterfeiting. The agency has been facing a serious shortage of staff, with less than five inspectors expected to stem the rising crime.

“We have noted that counterfeiting has become a lucrative venture for politicians looking for campaign money, as attested by those nabbed in the ongoing operation. We are not going to allow this nefarious trade to go on unabated,” said Polycarp Igathe, PIEA’s chairman.