By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, June 19, 2026 - The Anti-Counterfeit Authority is in the process of introducing a new digital verification system that will help identify counterfeit products in the country.
Speaking on Thursday, June 18, during World Anti-Counterfeiting Day celebrations in Nairobi, ACA Chief Executive Officer Robi King'a said a digital verifiable certification mark will be placed on some goods before they enter the country.
According to King'a, consumers as well as enforcement officers at the borders will be able to use their phones to scan the goods and verify their legitimacy.
King'a said the authority will first roll out the system in a pilot phase focusing on goods in the health and safety sector, which include alcoholic beverages, pharmaceuticals, agro-inputs, cosmetics and skin-care products, bottled water and edible oils, food products, electrical and electronic components, and automotive safety parts.
"Each device carries a unique identifier. A consumer verifies it with a smartphone. An enforcement officer scans it at the border, in the warehouse, on the shelf. The database is held by the Authority. Every scan generates intelligence. Every genuine product becomes self-declaring," he said.
The new system is also set to supplement other systems belonging to the Kenya Revenue Authority and the Kenya Bureau of Standards, which also ensure that goods entering the country meet the set quality thresholds.
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The authority has also said it is pushing for more legal reforms to ensure that appropriate action is taken against individuals selling counterfeit products on online platforms.
The announcement comes at a time when the authority is ramping up efforts to weed out individuals selling counterfeit products in the market, which are costing the economy an estimated KSh 800 billion annually.
In recent weeks, the authority has conducted a series of operations and seized goods worth millions, which they suspect to be counterfeit. ACA has said the crackdown is enforcement based on intelligence reports, surveillance and complaints from both brand owners and consumers.
"The purpose of seizure is to preserve evidence and prevent further circulation of suspected counterfeit goods pending investigations," the authority said.