The Retail Trade Association of Kenya (RETRAK) has called for a coordinated crackdown on illicit trade, urging enforcement agencies to target the supply networks behind smuggled, counterfeit and untaxed goods.
The association wants the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and National Police Service to establish a joint enforcement plan, identify a lead agency and provide timelines for reporting progress.
RETRAK Chief Executive Officer Wambui Mbarire said enforcement should go beyond seizures at retail outlets and focus on tracing the suppliers, storage facilities, transporters and financiers behind illicit consignments.
“Seizing illicit products from a shop is only the beginning. Investigators must establish who supplied the goods, where they were stored, who transported them and who financed the consignment. Following that trail is how we disrupt the networks and prevent the next delivery,” said Mbarire.
The association cited the growing scale of illicit trade, with a recent Kantar study estimating that illicit cigarettes accounted for 45.1 per cent of Kenya’s cigarette market in 2025, up from 34.1 per cent in 2021. The study estimated excise duty and VAT losses at Sh10.2 billion in 2025 and Sh47 billion between 2021 and 2025.
RETRAK is also seeking practical tools to help retailers verify excise stamps and product authentication marks, as well as channels for reporting suspected illicit goods.
The association said sustained enforcement would help protect consumers, legitimate businesses, jobs and public finances, while ensuring offenders and major suppliers face accountability.
“We need an accountable, sustained response not isolated raids. Kenyans deserve to know whether investigations are reaching the sources of illicit products and whether offenders are being brought to justice,” Mbarire added.
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