The Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) is intensifying inspections of bookshops and suppliers to stop the sale of pirated textbooks during the examination season.
Candidates preparing for national examinations may be studying from fake revision materials, the authority has warned. Such copies, it says, can carry errors, leave out key content or rely on outdated information, which puts learners at a real disadvantage.
ACA Board Chairperson Nelson Ributhi Gaichuhie announced the operation in a statement on Thursday. Officers will visit bookshops, stationery wholesalers and firms that supply schools, he said, in a bid to choke off the trade in imitation learning materials.
Fake textbooks and stationery targeted
Stationery has already proved a major concern for the agency. According to Gaichuhie, it ranked among the most valuable categories of goods in the authority’s latest destruction exercise, a fact that explains the sharper focus on the sector.
Fake calculators and mathematical sets are also in the net. Many carry copies of registered brand marks and publisher identities, yet they may not meet the accuracy standards expected of genuine products. Students who depend on them in class and in the examination room could therefore be misled by faulty results.
Meanwhile, the festive season is adding pressure on the market. As demand for household goods climbs, the authority says it will extend its protection to shoppers buying foodstuffs and personal care products, two areas where counterfeiters often thrive.
Consumers have a part to play as well. Gaichuhie urged the public to buy only from licensed and reputable outlets. He also advised shoppers to inspect seals, labels and packaging closely, and to confirm excise stamps and standardisation marks through official channels before paying.
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