If There is Already a Tax Stamp, Why Add Another Mark?

Kenya’s Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) has announced the rollout of its Anti-Counterfeit Security Device Regime, which will require designated products to carry a verifiable certification mark designed to help consumers and enforcement agencies authenticate genuine goods.

The initiative, formally activated under Section 34B of the Counterfeit Act, will initially target high-risk sectors including alcoholic beverages, medicines, agrochemicals, seeds, cosmetics, edible oils, food products, electrical goods and automotive components.

According to ACA Board Chairman Nelson Gaichuhie, the certification marks will be linked to the authority’s Anti-Counterfeit Information Management System (AIMS) and supported by a consumer-facing mobile application.

Consumers will be able to scan products and verify their authenticity, while enforcement agencies will gain access to real-time intelligence on product movements and suspicious activity.

‘Every scan will reveal intelligence. Every genuine product becomes part of its own defence system,’ said Gaichuhie, during an event in Nairobi commemorating World Anti-Counterfeiting Day.

Why another mark?