Page 11 - SACCOStar Mag Vol 46 Press_txt.pdf

CORPORATE WATCH
Agenda, by enhancing the growth of the
manufacturing sector.
Question
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are the most counterfeited goods in the
market?
Electronics, electrical goods, hardware,
computer accessories, clothing, tobacco
products, cosmetics/detergents,
petroleum products, vehicle spare parts,
food products, stationery, alcoholic
beverages and medicine.
Question
We are witnessing increased open
internet trade platforms that are used
for trade in counterfeit goods instead of
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the traditional counterfeit distribution
networks. Consumers can purchase
products from all over the world and
have them delivered straight to their
doors with just the click of a button. How like Kenya Industrial Property Institute,
is the Agency prepared to counter these
innovative ways of selling counterfeits?
Online counterfeiting is become an
emerging conduit through which
counterfeit goods are distributed to
consumers. When counterfeiting occurs
on the internet, rights owners usually
do not know who is responsible for this
infringement. In order to identify the
responsible person, they need to take
criminal action against the infringer and
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submit to the authorities the IP addresses was towards a structured engagement
from where the infringement came.
We have had challenges in terms of
enforcement and also the fact that
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some websites are hosted outside the
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of foreign government to seize and shut
down those websites.
At the Agency, we are working with
brand owners on product authentication
and protection. A recent survey in the
city of Mombasa and Nairobi showed
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counterfeits in the country.
We are re-strategizing our enforcement
in this direction. Soon we will dedicate
a team of inspectors to track these sites
and report to the National Cyber-Crime
Center with a view of pulling them down
and charging the perpetrators.
We also intend to have in place a number
of ICT technologies including a QR code
system – to empower consumers and
Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) as a
means by which genuine goods can be
trade led by the Principle Secretary,
technology.
Question
What is your scorecard in the last
year since you joined the Agency and
your plans of the Agency under your
leadership for the years to come?
The overarching goal of the Anti-
Counterfeit Agency is to combat trade
in counterfeit goods towards making
Kenya a counterfeit-free country. Our
role is to ensure Intellectual Property
protection system in the country is
respected through appropriate and
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awareness.
One of the advantages the Agency
has towards achieving the vision of a
counterfeit free country is that we are
not the only the government agency
for protection of IP rights. We work as
a team with other government agencies
Kenya Copyright Board, Kenya Revenue
Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards
among others, on all intellectual
property matters. We are the front-
line coordinating government Agency
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and to enforce intellectual property
rights in Kenya.
My leadership has been made easier due
to the fact that we needed to engage
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one roof to enable us to do better work.
I am happy to note that, the Agency
is at the forefront of the coordinating
team of the multi-Agency enforcement
the Deputy Head of Public Service Mr.
Wanyama Musiambo. A total value of
seizures worth about Kshs 8.6 billion has
been netted across the country in the
last six months with over 300 arrests.
Recently we destroyed goods worth Kshs
1.2 billion.
We are also at the center of the Multi-
Agency Awareness team against illicit
Trade Dr. Chris Kiptoo. The primary goal
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the demand driving side of illicit trade
by changing consumer and the general
public attitude against buying and
trading in counterfeit goods. We have
so far engaged in awareness programs
at the ports of entry covering Namanga,
Mombasa, Busia, Lunga Lunga and Taveta
borders.
One of the challenges that bedevils
public service delivery is restrained and
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I am happy to note that through improved
stakeholder engagement both in public
and private sector our budgetary
allocation has since doubled and we are
investing towards increasing our physical
and human presence at all regions in
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Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as
well as at the Inland Container Depot
in Embakasi. We are moving to all ports
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year.
We have managed to secure funding
from the United Kingdom through
Trade Mark East Africa to the tune of
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of our key services. We aim to provide
innovative and user-oriented services
through digitization and ensure that our
Inspectors have state of the art tools that
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On a more general level, we strive to
are seeking to embrace transformative
We have streamlined our management
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on international standards. We have also
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management system based a balanced
scorecard model to align operational
actions with the strategic objectives of
the Agency.
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