Two men have been arrested after detectives raided a homestead in Muthua, Kabete, where they allegedly found a counterfeit juice production operation.
Alex Mwaruta and James Munala Inyangala were arrested after detectives from Kabete Police Station acted on a tip-off from a member of the public. The two were allegedly found in the middle of processing the suspected counterfeit juice when officers arrived.
A search of the homestead led to the recovery of about 1,400 filled bottles containing suspected counterfeit juice in 200ml and 300ml sizes. Detectives also seized 56 cartons of empty bottles, five packets of bottle tops, two blue drums and three assorted-colour basins.
Among the other items recovered were office glue, rubber stamps and ink, assorted stickers and an expired certificate purporting to authorise the use of the Standardisation Mark for a well-known juice brand. Detectives also found assorted powdery and colourless substances stored in polythene bags in 50-gram portions, as well as in 200ml and 300ml bottles.
“What looked like an ordinary homestead in Muthua, Kabete, was being used as a clandestine juice factory, until a vigilant member of the public blew the whistle,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said.
“Acting on the information, detectives from Kabete Police Station responded swiftly. At the homestead, they found two men, Alex Mwaruta and James Munala Inyangala in the middle of producing counterfeit juice. Both were arrested on the spot.”
The scene was subsequently processed by detectives from the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) unit, while the recovered items were secured as exhibits. The two suspects remain in custody as investigations continue.
“Counterfeit beverages produced in unregulated and unhygienic environments can expose unsuspecting consumers to serious health risks. Such illegal operations also undermine legitimate manufacturers and deprive the government of rightful tax revenue,” the DCI said.
The raid adds to the wider challenge posed by counterfeit goods and illicit products in Kenya, with the food and beverage sector among those exposed to the trade.
The Anti-Counterfeit Authority’s 2025 firm-level survey found that, on average, 18 per cent of products were estimated to be counterfeit, with alcoholic beverages recording a 19 per cent prevalence in the sectors covered by the study—the highest alongside automotive spare parts. The authority said gin and vodka were among the alcoholic products most affected by counterfeiting.
The problem extends beyond counterfeit labelling and packaging, with authorities also dealing with the production and distribution of illicit alcoholic products. In May, the ACA told Parliament that counterfeit alcohol cases included the misuse and refilling of genuine bottles with unsafe products.
The authority said it had seized counterfeit goods worth more than Sh563 million between the first and third quarters of the 2025/26 financial year, while goods worth about Sh1.78 billion were being held in custody.
In alcohol-related enforcement, seizures stood at about Sh10 million in the third quarter, while targeted operations between January and mid-April resulted in the seizure of counterfeit alcoholic products valued at about Sh4 million.
The ACA has also identified challenges such as porous borders, diversion of ethanol into illicit production, refilling of genuine bottles and the use of online and social media platforms to distribute counterfeit products.
The Kabete case now places suspected counterfeit juice production under investigation, with the recovered bottles, packaging materials, substances and other items expected to form part of the evidence as detectives establish how the operation was being conducted and where the products were intended to be distributed.
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