The Kenya Revenue Authority has vowed to step up its crackdown on counterfeit and illegal products.
The authority on Wednesday said it has done a market survey and established that over 40 per cent of products in the market are illicit.
This includes alcohol, cigarettes and water.
Chief of operations Isaac Gachoka said the authority has reorganised its enforcement structures and is ready to go full throttle to tame such illegalities.
"We will not fear, we will be fair but firm on anybody who is not doing the right thing. This is a year where we expect hundred per cent on compliance on laid down regulations and laws pertaining to production of alcohol, cigarettes and water," he said.
"A time has come where we must stop this madness and be patriotic to this country, don't be so mean at least have a consideration for what other people are consuming," he added.
Gachoka was speaking in Umoja Mowlem area where two companies involved in the illegal production of beer and spirits were raided and goods worth millions of shillings confiscated.
He said the two companies Kedister and Elle Kenya Ltd were manufacturing alcohol even after their operations were suspended.
The companies have continued to manufacture alcohol despite being suspended by the enforcement team which has led to sub-standard products in the market.
The process of manufacturing the alcohol is wanting since the materials used have not been tested by Kebs.
He said there has been an allegation that Elle Kenya Ltd, a company owned by Antony Otieno, is well known to be smuggling ethanol through the porous border.
"We got intelligence from the members of the public and in partnership with the multi-agency teams we raided the two premises," Gachoka said.
"To our shock, we have established that the companies have several production lines. They front the one that is doing the right thing yet behind the scenes there is a lot of illegality going on," he added.
Gachoka said for instance at Kedister, the agency confiscated 93 drums of illegal ethanol worth Sh6 million among other products including fake seals and stamps, recycled bottles and crates belonging to Kenya breweries.
He said it is shocking that the company is packaging alcohol in plastic bottles which is against the regulations set.
"The products have no company logo and cannot be traced. You can imagine what risks such products are posing to the health of the general public," he said.
Other goods confiscated include 54 cartons of 330ml pet bottles of ice wood crey vodka, 116 crates of 330ml ice wood crey vodka, 5 Tanks of 6000litrs Batian brewed beer and 5 tanks of 3500litres of Batian brewed beer.
He said they intended to nab the owner of the company and the managers but they were tipped and fled for their lives.
"We shall be seeking court order to be allowed to destroy these products because are no longer going to tolerate this, we shall rest at nothing until all the perpetrators are apprehended," he said.
