How festive spend fuels surge in counterfeits and Sh100b loss

Kakamega chicken traders wait for customers on December 18, 2025.  [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

The festive season is a time when Kenyans travel more, spend more, and buy more. Homes are restocked, gifts are exchanged, vehicles cover long distances, and online shopping peaks. It is a season defined by generosity and urgency in equal measure.

Yet it is also the period when counterfeit goods find their easiest entry into the market—hidden behind discounts, speed, and pressure to deliver joy quickly. Many Kenyans may not relate to technical concepts such as intellectual property. But everyone understands authenticity. We know the difference between something that is genuine and something that imitates a genuine one.

Authentic products offer safety, reliability and accountability. Counterfeit goods offer none. At its most practical level, the work of the Anti-Counterfeit Authority is about protecting that difference—ensuring what Kenyans buy, use, gift, or consume during this high-risk season is real and safe.

Counterfeiting is not a marginal or seasonal inconvenience. It is a large, organised trade that follows consumer demand. National studies estimate that counterfeit trade costs Kenya over KSh 100 billion annually in lost revenue. For the economy, this translates into reduced tax collection, weakened competitiveness for local manufacturers, and distorted markets where compliant businesses struggle against illegal operators. During the festive season—when a significant share of annual consumer spending is compressed into a few weeks—counterfeit activity intensifies sharply. Counterfeiters understand seasons well; they follow calendars, not laws.

The dangers associated with counterfeit goods are immediate and often severe, and enforcement evidence continues to confirm this reality. In September this year, ACA-led multi-agency operations dismantled a Sh100 million counterfeit cooking oil syndicate in Mombasa, where edible oils were repackaged under popular brands in unhygienic conditions and declared unsafe for consumption.

In another operation, Sh10 million worth of counterfeit sugar and cooking oil smuggled from Somalia was intercepted in Malindi, highlighting the cross-border nature of food counterfeiting and its impact on consumers and legitimate traders alike.

Across the country, enforcement teams have seized counterfeit alcoholic drinks worth millions of shillings, products directly linked to poisoning, blindness, and loss of life. The automotive sector has also been heavily affected. Counterfeit motor-vehicle spare parts, oils, and lubricants intercepted at border towns and urban markets degrade engine performance, compromise braking systems, and increase accident risk—especially dangerous during festive travel.

Meanwhile, cosmetics, personal care products, toys, electronics, and festive gift items remain among the most counterfeited categories during peak shopping periods, exposing families to burns, allergies, electrical fires, and long-term health complications. Why do counterfeit goods thrive so easily during the festive season? Part of the answer lies in consumer behaviour. When people are rushed, excited by discounts, or influenced by social recommendations, vigilance drops.

Behavioural research, including the Theory of Planned Behaviour, shows purchasing decisions are shaped by attitudes, social norms, and perceived control—factors amplified during high-pressure shopping periods. Counterfeiters exploit these tendencies by mimicking legitimate brands, packaging, online reviews, and delivery processes.

Philosophy quietly becomes relevant. Aristotle argued that virtue is revealed not in comfort, but in moments of choice—when doing the right thing is less convenient. In today’s marketplace, choosing genuine products during the festive rush is one such moment. Counterfeit trade thrives when convenience overrides judgment and short-term savings eclipse long-term consequences.

In response, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority intensifies enforcement during the festive season through intelligence-led operations, market surveillance, border interventions, and multi-agency collaboration. These actions are not about punishment alone; they are about restoring confidence and order in the marketplace. Each seizure protects consumers. Each disrupted network safeguards legitimate traders. Each operation reinforces the message that authenticity still matters.

Yet enforcement alone cannot be everywhere at once. The strongest defense against counterfeits is a vigilant and informed public. Kenyans deserve to understand the real risks of counterfeit goods—because a fake product can harm the people we care about most. At the same time, consumers must feel empowered, not blamed. Choosing genuine products should be seen as an act of care, responsibility, and wisdom—not inconvenience.

As we celebrate this festive season, let us choose authenticity consciously. Genuine goods protect our health, our livelihoods, and our joy. The festive season should leave us with good memories—not preventable regrets.

-The writer is Executive Director and CEO, Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA)