Mumias sues firm in ‘fake sugar’ row

Mumias Sugar, a leading local sugar miller
wants the court to order a company to
stop packaging

A leading local sugar miller wants the
court to order a company to stop
packaging its imports in packages
similar to its own.
Mumias Sugar claims that Option Two
Limited has been duping the public
by distributing imported sugar
labelled “Mumias Sugar” causing it to
lose of millions of shillings.
Consumers cannot differentiate
between genuine Mumias sugar and
the fake one. Prof Tom Ojienda, for
Mumias said the firm has packaged,
supplied and distributed sugar in
packs so similar “as to cause confusion
and deceive the public into thinking
their sugar is that of Mumias.”
Two sets of packaged “Mumias Sugar”
were displayed in court which was
difficult to differentiate except the
trade mark numbers.
Mumias Sugar claimed Option Two
had been using Kanini Haraka
Enterprises to distribute the “fake
sugar” in Nairobi, Naivasha, Thika,
Nyeri, Nakuru and Meru at the
expense of their goodwill which has
caused a decline in their profits.
“The company received complaints
from customers and after a search on
retails , we confirmed that there was
another company imitating our
design, logos and slogans,” said Prof
Ojienda.
Mumias wants temporary orders to
stop the distribution of the other
sugar until the dispute is heard.
He said that a comparison of the two
packs revealed that both packs of
white sugar have green and white as
well as the blue and white alternating
stripes.
Both packs, he explained, have
drawings of a sugarcane on the front
right and left of the packs and logos
are placed at the same place.
The hearing continues.
Nation

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