The government plans to unify Kenya’s anti-counterfeit bodies to curb substandard goods in the market. The move targets to form a larger organization, which will encompass the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI), and KEBS.
The war against counterfeit and substandard goods rages on after KEBS recently banned certain peanut butter products over excess aflatoxin content.
“We are re-looking the agencies that are fighting counterfeits and substandard goods in the country with the view to merging them into one entity.” CS Peter Munya told the National Assembly.
The merger will allow a unified approach in the fight against sub-standard goods. Kenya’s standardization agency KEBS suffers from inadequate workforce, which has undermined its effectiveness.
SEE ALSO: KEBS Suspends 7 Peanut Butter Products Over High Aflatoxin
While Munya acknowledged the staff shortage, he insisted that KEBS is still able to test the quality of goods in Kenya.
Nevertheless, the CS urged KEBS chief executive to recruit for vacant posts and automate operation. This, he believes, will improve the agency’s effectiveness.
Earlier in 2013, the government proposed to merge the Kenya Copyright Body (KECOBO), KIPI, and ACA. These organizations merged into a single state corporation under the name Kenya Intellectual and Industrial Property Corporation.
