Kenyan actress and content creator Christine Wawira has confronted a local liquor store after she said a bottle of County Vodka she purchased appeared to be counterfeit.
Wawira reportedly returned the bottle to the outlet after questioning its authenticity. According to posts circulating online, she said the drink looked different from what she expected and had an unusual smell.
The actress described the smell as being similar to nail polish remover.
“County is not supposed to be this light or smell like nail polish remover,” Wawira said in a social media post.
Wawira demands answers
Wawira's complaint appears to have centred on the quality and authenticity of the bottle she had purchased.
Reports circulating on social media said she confronted the liquor store over the product and returned it. The attendant reportedly issued her a refund.
However, there is no independent laboratory test cited in the available reports confirming that the particular bottle was counterfeit.
That distinction is important because an unusual smell or appearance alone does not establish what is inside a bottle.
Wawira's account, nevertheless, has renewed discussion about the risks consumers face when purchasing alcoholic drinks from retail outlets.
Counterfeit alcohol remains a concern
The incident comes against a wider backdrop of enforcement operations against illicit alcohol in Kenya.
In January 2026, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said it had dismantled an illicit alcohol manufacturing and distribution network in Eldoret. Detectives recovered cartons of alcoholic beverages carrying labels of popular brands, together with packaging materials used in the suspected operation.
The case illustrates how counterfeit products can enter the market through organised manufacturing and distribution networks.
Kenya Bureau of Standards says its market surveillance work includes investigating complaints involving substandard and counterfeit products. The agency can also take action including seizure, prosecution and product recalls where violations are established.
Consumers urged to verify products
KEBS provides mechanisms for consumers to check certification marks on products.
The agency says consumers can verify the validity of certification permits through its systems, including the KEBS verification service.KEBS also says complaints about non-compliant products can be reported through its market surveillance system or its 1545 hotline.
For Wawira, the immediate response was to return the bottle rather than consume a product she suspected was not genuine.
The actress's experience has put a familiar consumer concern back in the spotlight: how easily can buyers distinguish genuine alcohol from a potentially counterfeit product?
