A multi-agency team in the fight against illicit trade has announced that electric cables remain the most counterfeited product in the market.
Coordinator Wanyama Musiambo said there were also existing subsidised cigarettes in the market meant for export, making the government lose revenue.
Other products susceptible to counterfeits include alcohol, food products and petrol.
“Our biggest challenge has been the cables despite the increased operations including destruction of the goods. We will continue with the fight until we wipe them out,” Musiambo said during the manufacturer's Changamka shopping festival in Nairobi on Friday.
There has been a high demand for electric cables in the market, driven by ongoing elelctrification projects, Last Mile Connectivity Project and the newly introduced Kenya National Electrification Strategy meant to cover rural areas which don’t have transformers and mini-grids.
According to July-September 2018 quarterly report by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the value of telecommunications equipment, electrical machinery and apparatus imports totaled to Sh32.2 billion in the nine months to September.
The projects created opportunities for manufacturers to supply cables and other accessories including poles, meters.
The manufacturing sector has announced an improvement with the increased crackdown on illicit trade, with 40 per cent market share dominated by counterfeit products.
An approximate Sh30 billion is lost by manufacturers per year in revenue.
The edible oil sub-sector has reported gains of up to 62 per cent while alcohol has only improved to gain 20 per cent.
