Shiquo Hii Style Store Was Not Raided, Anti-Counterfeit Authority Confirms; Says Influencer Used Empty Shelves for Content as She Relocates

The Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) has dismissed claims by social media personality and entrepreneur Shiquo Hii Style that her shoe business was raided and stock seized by enforcement officers, insisting that no operation was conducted at her Nairobi store.

The authority’s response comes days after Shiquo sparked widespread debate online when she shared emotional videos claiming she had suffered massive losses after authorities allegedly confiscated shoes from her business in a crackdown on counterfeit goods.

The posts quickly went viral, drawing sympathy from followers and reigniting a long-running conversation about Kenya’s thriving market for replica fashion products.

But ACA says the story being told online does not match what happened on the ground.

Speaking to the Nation, ACA Director of Enforcement Osman Yusuf flatly denied that the authority had carried out any raid at Shiquo’s shop located at RNG Plaza in Nairobi’s Central Business District.

“There is no operation that was conducted by ACA at that shop. That is a pure lie,” Yusuf said.

According to the enforcement chief, the authority is aware of ongoing anti-counterfeit operations linked to international investigations but maintains that Shiquo’s business was never among the premises targeted.

Instead, ACA claims the empty shelves featured in videos shared online were the result of a planned relocation rather than an enforcement action.

“The intelligence we have is that she was relocating from one shop to another and used empty shelves to portray a raid,” Yusuf said.

The regulator later issued an official statement reiterating that it had not interfered with any legitimate business operation and that its enforcement activities are strictly limited to combating counterfeit trade.

“ACA’s enforcement activities are directed exclusively at unlawful trade in counterfeit goods,” the authority said.

The agency explained that whenever it conducts enforcement operations, inspectors are required by law to follow strict procedures, including documenting goods, maintaining inventories and preserving seized items pending investigations.

It also noted that traders have a right to provide documentation proving the authenticity of their products and can challenge enforcement decisions through the courts.

The controversy erupted after Shiquo posted a series of videos suggesting that all her stock had been confiscated, forcing her to start over.

In one of the clips, she described the experience as a painful lesson for business owners dealing in products that may infringe on intellectual property rights.

“Every piece of shoe was taken because they were counterfeit. There was a big problem. We have to start again, relearn, rebuild and do it again,” she said.

She also warned other traders about the risks associated with selling products that imitate established brands.

At the same time, Shiquo used the incident to reflect on the importance of building local brands, arguing that entrepreneurs should focus on creating their own products instead of relying on the popularity of international labels.

“We can make our own brands and grow them slowly,” she said, citing global giants such as Nike and Adidas as examples of companies that started from scratch before becoming household names.

Her claims sparked a heated online debate, with many Kenyans questioning why replica products are widely available in local markets if authorities later consider them illegal. Others argued that traders often operate in a grey area where counterfeit goods are openly sold despite periodic crackdowns.

The dispute has once again put a spotlight on Nairobi’s bustling trade in imitation products, particularly in commercial hubs such as Eastleigh, Kamukunji and the Central Business District, where demand for cheaper alternatives to premium brands remains strong.

For now, however, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority maintains that no raid took place at Shiquo Hii Style’s store, setting up a stark contradiction between the influencer’s public account and the regulator’s version of events.