NAIROBI, Kenya- The Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) Director of Enforcement, Osman Yusuf, has dismissed claims that the agency recently conducted an operation at a shop associated with businesswoman and influencer Shiquo Hii Style, saying the narrative circulating online does not reflect the information available to the authority.
Speaking amid public debate over videos showing empty shelves at the trader’s outlet, Yusuf said ACA had not carried out any operation at the specific shop in question.
“There is no operation that was conducted by ACA at that shop. The intelligence we have is that she was relocating from one shop to another and used empty shelves to portray a raid,” Yusuf said.
His remarks come days after social media personality Shiquo Hii Style shared videos showing an almost empty store and claimed authorities had confiscated stock worth millions of shillings over allegations that the goods were counterfeit.
The incident sparked widespread discussion online, with some Kenyans questioning whether the Anti-Counterfeit Authority had targeted the trader, while others called for stricter enforcement against counterfeit products.
However, the Authority has previously stated that it conducted an intelligence-led enforcement operation involving suspected counterfeit goods and emphasized that its actions were guided by the Anti-Counterfeit Act.
ACA maintained that enforcement operations are based on complaints, surveillance and investigations, and are not targeted at specific individuals.
According to the Authority, inspectors are empowered under the law to inspect premises, seize suspected counterfeit goods and preserve them as evidence pending investigations.
ACA has also stressed that goods found to be genuine are returned to their owners, while confirmed counterfeit goods are destroyed through legal processes.
The controversy surrounding Shiquo Hii Style gained national attention after videos circulated online showing stripped shelves at her Nairobi CBD business premises.
Several media reports indicated that suspected counterfeit merchandise valued at millions of shillings had been seized during enforcement actions targeting fake goods.
The latest remarks by Yusuf are likely to fuel further debate over what transpired at the trader’s business and the extent of ACA’s involvement.
Neither Shiquo Hii Style nor her representatives had publicly responded to Yusuf’s claims by the time of publication.
The Anti-Counterfeit Authority has in recent days reiterated that its broader crackdown on counterfeit goods is intended to protect consumers, intellectual property rights and legitimate businesses from unfair competition.
