Nature of women participation in counterfeit trade between Kenya and Uganda

Angela Brenda Nasirumbi Maketso; Pontian Godfrey Okoth; Elijah Onyango Standslause Odhiambo

doi:10.51867/AQSSR.3.3.66

Authors

Angela Brenda Nasirumbi Maketso Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya Author https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9602-6149
Pontian Godfrey Okoth Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8369-9029
Elijah Onyango Standslause Odhiambo Bomet University, Kenya Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4048-3962

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/AQSSR.3.3.66

Keywords:

Economics

Abstract

Counterfeit trade remains a major global, regional, national, and local problem, particularly at high-traffic border points such as Busia and Malaba along the Kenya–Uganda border leading to loss of jobs and government revenue. The fight against counterfeit goods requires an understanding of women participation in counterfeit trade. This study, therefore, sought to interrogate women participation in counterfeit trade influencing the management strategies between Kenya and Uganda. The study was anchored on liberalism and transnationalism theories. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population comprised 39,686 women aged 18 years and above residing in Malaba and Busia Municipalities in both Kenya and Uganda, alongside 83 key informants drawn from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KeBS), Anti-Counterfeit Authority, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), and security officials from both countries. The study adopted simple random sampling and purposive sampling to select an overall sample of 396 respondents. The primary data was collected by use of semi-structured questionnaires, key informant interview guides, and Focus Group Discussions. Secondary data was obtained from books, journals and government reports in addition to annual reports of Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KeBS), Anti-Counterfeit Authority, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) with the help of a data extraction checklist. Qualitative data was derived from key informant interviews and open-ended questions were analysed using thematic analysis. Utilizing the statistical software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 25), descriptive statistics was employed to analyse quantitative data. The study found that counterfeit trade along the Kenya–Uganda border is widespread, involving diverse products, organized production methods, and structured distribution networks. It concludes that coordinated cross-border efforts are essential to address the institutional and transnational factors driving counterfeit trade. The study recommends strengthening public awareness, enforcement capacity, and cross-border collaboration to curb the trade in counterfeit goods.

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