Kenyan hip-hop artiste Octopizzo has taken a firm stand against what he describes as the United States’ continued hypocrisy in global trade governance.
This comes after the U.S. government listed Kenya among countries allowing the trade of counterfeit goods — a move that has stirred strong reactions across the country.
In a fiery post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the artiste openly criticised U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing America of unjustly portraying itself as the world’s moral and economic authority.
He suggested that the U.S., rather than addressing its own failings in global commerce, had resorted to blaming developing nations for problems it had helped create.
“Who made the USA the self-appointed father of nations, policing global trade like a quality control overlord?” Octopizzo posed, his words laced with pointed irony and frustration.
He went on to underscore the irony of the U.S. pointing fingers at African nations while continuing to rely heavily on Chinese manufacturing, even after suffering setbacks in its trade war with China.
According to him, Washington’s stance reeked of insecurity masked as policy and served only to damage relationships with trading partners across the globe.
“They lost the tariff war to China, yet instead of facing their failures, they point fingers at countries doing business with China — ironically, while most of their own ‘authentic’ goods are still made in China,” he wrote.
Octopizzo further dismissed the notion that Kenya was a major player in counterfeit goods, describing the accusations as both misplaced and insulting.
With his trademark street-savvy tone, he turned the tables on Trump, saying that Kenyans would continue embracing affordable fashion regardless of Western approval.
“Now they dare to flag Kenya for counterfeit trade? Spare us the hypocrisy,” he added, before cheekily signing off: “@realDonaldTrump bwana tutavaa hii mali bora luku ikubali”, a Swahili expression meaning “Sir, we’ll wear these clothes as long as they look good.”
The post, which quickly gained traction online, drew widespread support from fellow Kenyans, many of whom echoed the artiste’s sentiments about the West’s patronising attitude towards African economies.
Some users applauded Octopizzo for his courage, while others noted that his words had struck a chord with a younger generation increasingly sceptical of foreign interference.
Here are some comments from his post:
@NyashWarrior said: “Finally, someone said it! The West keep pointing fingers while turning a blind eye to their own mess. Big up @Octopizzo for speaking truth to power!”
@MamaTesh254 said: “They act like they’re the global police, yet half of the “original” stuff in their stores is made in China. Let Kenya breathe! Thanks, Octo!”
@NjugushKe said: “Octopizzo nailed it. Hypocrisy of the highest order. The U.S. can’t even fix its own backyard but wants to lecture Africa?”
@Wanjiku_Kamau said: “This is why we need more artistes speaking out. Our leaders may stay silent, but at least we have people like Octo standing up for Kenya.”
Controversial report
The controversial report was released on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, by the Office of the United States Trade Representative as part of its 2025 Special 301 Review — an annual document highlighting countries failing to protect American intellectual property rights.
According to the report, Kenya’s lax enforcement of intellectual property rights has created a fertile environment for counterfeit goods, including fake pharmaceuticals, vehicle parts and fast-moving consumer products.
The USTR notes that many of these counterfeits originate from Asian manufacturing powerhouses such as China, India and Vietnam, often arriving in Kenya directly or through regional transit hubs, before being re-exported to markets like Brazil, Nigeria, Mexico and Russia.
“As more brands have shifted production from China to Southeast Asia, countries such as Vietnam have become more prominent as manufacturers of counterfeit products,” a section of the report read.
Of particular concern is the unchecked spread of counterfeit medicines.
The U.S. identifies Kenya alongside India and Nigeria as nations with deeply flawed systems for overseeing collective rights management, warning that such gaps undermine public health and global supply chain integrity.
Furthermore, India, China, the UAE and Singapore were named as top sources of counterfeit pharmaceuticals seized at U.S. borders in the last fiscal year.
“Unfortunately, CMO systems in several countries are reportedly flawed or non-operational. In some countries, like India, Kenya, and Nigeria, withdrawals of, or changes in, a CMO’s authorisation to operate leave right holders in defunct CMOs and music users confused over whom to pay,” the report highlighted.