Shiquo Hii Style / ScreengrabBusinesswoman and social media personality Shiquo Hii Style has spoken out after authorities allegedly raided her business premises and confiscated goods worth millions of shillings over claims that the products were counterfeit.
The entrepreneur, known for selling popular shoe brands alongside clothes and household appliances, described the raid as a painful lesson and warned other traders against dealing in counterfeit products.
Speaking about the loss, Shiquo revealed that all the shoes in her shop were seized, leaving her business facing an uncertain future.
The businesswoman said the experience had taught her the importance of complying with regulations and urged fellow entrepreneurs to ensure they deal in genuine products.
“Every piece of shoe was taken because they were counterfeit. There was a big problem. We have to start again, relearn, rebuild and do it again. I want you to learn that if you are dealing with anything like that, it can waste you. When they start to take, they take everything. We shall restructure the whole business. Complaints and blame games will not help us,” she said.
According to Shiquo, the financial impact of the raid has been enormous, but she remains determined to rebuild her business from the ground up.
The entrepreneur said the incident had also changed her business outlook, pushing her to consider investing in locally manufactured products and building her own brand.
“It’s a big loss for me. I would not want whatever has happened to me to happen to anybody else. If you are dealing with counterfeit products, be careful because they will take everything and it will cost you so much,” she warned.
“Let us start and learn to build our own things. We can also grow something from scratch and not depend on other people.”
Shiquo argued that greater support for local brands could help grow Kenyan businesses and even boost investment in other sectors such as sports.
“Maybe our football stars are not growing because we are not supporting them. I can make a shoe with my own brand and then come and support our local football clubs. We slowly grow because these things come fast and go,” she said.
She urged traders involved in similar businesses to take the necessary steps to ensure compliance, warning that enforcement agencies are intensifying their crackdown on counterfeit goods.
“If you are in this business, do the necessary because they are coming and they do not care,” she said.
Shiquo's remarks come days after authorities raided her business and seized merchandise reportedly worth millions of shillings in an operation targeting counterfeit products.
