The Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA) has committed to strengthen market intelligence, boost internal capacity and enforcement with the launch of its second strategic plan in war against fake products.
Over the next five years, the agency plans to increase its geographical spread and capacity building, pursue strategic linkages and alliances with other law enforcement agencies as well diversify public outreach programs.
To inform policy, enforcement and awareness decisions, the agency plans to strengthen its market research capacity as a strategic objective.
The newly appointed ACA Executive Director, Elema Halake affirmed the need to strengthen institutional capacity in line with market demand and trends.
“The second strategic plan sets us on a path to build on the progress that we have made over the past five years under our 2011-2016 Strategic Plan. It will infuse fresh dynamism into Kenya’s war against counterfeits,” said Mr. Halake.
Over the last five years, counterfeits worth Ksh880 Million have been seized with goods worth Ksh520 million destroyed for concluded cases. So far, the agency has made close to 700 arrests across the country, seized counterfeit goods in excess of Ksh1.6 billion and destroyed counterfeit goods of approximately Ksh700 million.
Over the next two months, ACA will roll out a digital enforcement case management system to help track and manage cases on counterfeits. “This Strategic plan gives us the tools we need to succeed in a rapidly changing environment and will ensures that our law enforcement mandate remains relevant to the people it serves,” said ACA Broad Chairman, Mr Pradeep Paunrana.
A joint report on the state of counterfeiting in the East Africa, ‘The East African Community (EAC) IPR Regime,’ conducted early this year by ACA and Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) has recommended need for development of autonomous national IP offices, raise awareness on IPRS and illicit trade.
Similarly the report stresses the creation of alternate dispute resolutions mechanism to resolves IPR disputes. To fast track regional war against illicit trade in East Africa, it calls for harmonization of different state IP laws and development of a common trade mark.
Ministry of Investment and Industry, Principal Secretary, Patrick Nduati Mwangi said Kenya now has legal and institutional preparedness to address theft of Intellectual property rights with ACA as the coordinating Agency in the enforcement of IP protection.
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