Kenya on Monday received $1.5 million support from Trade Mark East Africa towards supporting the digitalization of its operations and services to fight counterfeit goods.The proposed digitalization project will involve development of ICT-enabled solutions for ease in the detection of counterfeits by consumers and research and awareness programs to establish the national public awareness on counterfeit goods.

The financing agreement comes at a time of increased outcry from manufacturers and consumers due to the growing trade in counterfeits in Kenya.

Counterfeit products are estimated to cost Kenya about $2 billion annually in unpaid taxes.

The signing was witnessed by the Anti-Counterfeit Agency chairperson, Mrs Flora Mutai, TradeMark Africa (TMA) Kenya Country Programme Director, Ahmed Farah and UKAID Head of Sustainable Economic Development, Ian Mills.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Nairobi, the Anti-Counterfeit Agency chairperson Mrs Flora Mutai appreciated the support from TradeMark Africa towards digitising its operations and noted the increased challenge posed by counterfeiters who are using modern technology to copy trademarks and industrial designs up to undetectable levels.

“Technology has now moved to the wrong hands. We are witnessing illicit trade crime sophistication due to IT in wrong hands” she said.

“The overall aim of this project and intervention is to take the necessary steps to mitigate and eliminate counterfeiting and to subsequently create an attractive and conducive trade environment for businesses to flourish. This automation is in line with the East Africa governments’ trade facilitation initiatives that reduce barriers to trade,” said TMA Kenya Country Programme Director, Ahmed Farah.

The digitalisation once implemented will ensure that anti-counterfeit agency inspectors, other law enforcement agencies, intellectual property rights owners and the public have at their disposal instruments and tools that will deter counterfeiting, enhance the process of detecting, reporting and impounding counterfeit goods, and ensure a transparent process on how counterfeit items are destroyed.