Athletes urged to trademark brands to boost the country's economy

Traders at Soko Mjinga Market in Nyeri.[File, Standard]

Athletes have been urged to register their brands and develop merchandise to strengthen the country’s economy and support the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Nandi counties are known as the major counties that have produced the best athletes not only in Kenya but to the entire continent.

Speaking during the World Intellectual Property Day 2026 celebrations held at Eldoret National Polytechnic on Monday, Allan Kosgey, Chairperson of the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI), stated that there is a need for athletes to protect the country through brand registration.

Something to note, “The government, through the leadership of President William Ruto, is fully in support of our sportsmen and women, we want them to continue protecting their intellectual property rights by registering trademarks to help safeguard innovations and unlock commercial opportunities now and days to come,” said Kosgey

The Chairman also emphasised that this year’s theme highlights the role of intellectual property rights, including patents, trademarks, and design protections, aimed at enhancing performance, fostering innovation, and strengthening the sports industry globally.

He maintained that Eldoret being the City of Champions was a fitting host given its global reputation in athletics, adding that its proximity to neighboring counties known for producing elite athletes beyond reasonable doubt.

Kosgey praised the collaboration between the Anti-Counterfeit Authority and the Kenya Copyright Board in sensitising stakeholders on protecting IP across the sports value chain, including running kits, among others.

“Let us always engage our upcoming and senior athletes to invest more if they want to make our country grow in terms of investment. If I am not wrong, what we are discussing here today is one of the President’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda; we are not far from his vision.” He added
The Head of State further emphasised that the Head of State is committed to ensuring this country is changed from what it was years back, arguing that the improvement of the economy and sports sector is key to building the economy from the grassroots.

State Department for Industry official Karanja Njora stressed the need to empower innovators with knowledge on protecting their creations.

He urged Kenyans to stop the tradition where citizens are exploited due to a lack of awareness, adding that athletes and innovators should be given time to understand the importance of safeguarding their intellectual property.

He noted that KIPI plays a central role in guiding individuals on protecting inventions and utility models, while also encouraging research-driven innovation to enable commercialisation.

“I’m here to confirm to you that the government is committed to supporting innovators who may lack knowledge on how to take their products to market; there are ways and mechanisms to enable them to compete effectively,” Njora assured

Eldoret National Polytechnic Chief Principal Dr Charles Koech, the host, urged Kenyan participants to venture into innovation within sports, including developing sportswear equipment, and seek protection through KIPI to ensure sustainable business growth.

He caused laughter when he said that those who came up with the idea of skills and business transformation through sports are like a watered garden whose waters remain intact even during the dry season.

“Personally, I’m proud to have you in this institution; it’s a blessing because you are discussing issues relating to the ongoing sports activities by our students. As we speak, we recently managed to come back here in Eldoret with 17 trophies from the just concluded Kenya National Drama Festival in Nyeri County, it’s an investment through sports,” Keoch said

He added, “I'm not an expert in sports, but I’m convinced that this team has come up with a business initiative that will improve or create business connectivity in both sportsmen and women across the country. Let us support them if they want to have a better country in the future,” Koech urged
On his part, Dr. Robi Mbugua, CEO of the Anti-Counterfeit Authority, raised concern over the rising cases of counterfeit goods in the sports sector, arguing that there is a need to have an urgent intervention before it gets worse.

“My brothers and sisters, Kenya belongs to all of us. Truly speaking, we encounter fake sports merchandise that undermines businesses, endangers consumers, and denies creators their rightful earnings. As per now, the country loses billions annually to counterfeit trade, which is very unfortunate,” Mbugua complained.
He reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to protecting innovators and consumers, urging the public to support genuine products and reject counterfeit goods.