A hardware store in Kakamega is at the centre of an enforcement operation after Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) officers seized 578 gypsum boards suspected to be fake and valued at Sh880,000.
The seizure is part of a wider crackdown on counterfeit construction materials in Western Kenya, with the hardware proprietor expected to face prosecution once laboratory and material tests on the impounded products are completed. The tests will establish whether the boards have defects and whether they infringe on the Hada trademark.
ACA Regional Manager for Western and Nyanza Tom Muteti said the circulation of fake building materials could have serious consequences, warning that substandard products may contribute to structural failures and building collapses.
Speaking on Thursday, Muteti said rogue traders were “quietly flooding the local supply chain with dangerous, unverified substitutes” while undermining national construction standards.
The authority said genuine gypsum boards are made with fire-retardant properties that help insulate buildings and slow the spread of flames when a fire breaks out.
Counterfeit boards may not contain the compounds needed to resist fire, making them more likely to burn and potentially allowing flames to spread faster through a building.
The products also contain poor-quality binding fillers that may warp, sag or break down when exposed to humidity and heavy loads. This could weaken wall partitions and ceilings and affect their stability.
“These fake materials utilize substandard binding fillers that easily warp, sag, or disintegrate under humidity and weight, severely compromising wall partitions and ceiling stability,” the ACA said.
Muteti cautioned hardware owners, distributors and contractors against buying, selling or using counterfeit construction products, saying enforcement operations would continue across the region.
He called on property developers, builders and members of the public to buy construction materials from authorised brand agents and confirm that the products are genuine before they are installed.
“Multi-agency enforcement drives will relentlessly target all perpetrators throughout the region,” he warned.
The ACA also urged members of the public to report suspected counterfeit goods to authorities, saying public cooperation was important in protecting consumers and maintaining construction standards.
The Kakamega seizure comes amid growing concerns over the quality and safety of materials being used in construction projects across the country.
The authority said its enforcement teams would continue targeting traders involved in the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit construction materials and other illicit products in Western Kenya.