On the grounds of contravening trademark laws, individuals in Kenya who use the term ‘Riggy G’ will be required to pay Ksh200,000 or face imprisonment for a period of five years. The Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI) confirmed that they accepted the trademark application submitted by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on April 30, which has led to this new development.
The document detailed that individuals will not be allowed to use the phrase on the following;
The list of goods and services that fall under the trademark approval for the term ‘Riggy G’ includes various items made of paper or cardboard, such as figurines, works of art, and certain paper products not classified by function or purpose.
The list also includes framed or unframed lithographs, paintings, and watercolors, address stamps, booklets, advertisement boards, magazines, as well as packaging materials like paper bags, envelopes, and containers.
Furthermore, the trademark approval applies to the use of the term in relation to clothing, footwear, and headgear, as well as in the provision of training, sporting and cultural activities, coaching, arranging and conducting congresses, and organizing competitions, as stated by the institute.
The use of the term ‘Riggy G’ will also be prohibited during the organization of sports competitions, publication of texts or books, and the provision of online electronic publications or entertainment, as stated by KIPI. The consequences for falsely using a trademark are a fine of Ksh200,000 or a five-year jail term, or both, as per the Trademark Act.
The Act further stipulates that any individual who sells or imports any goods or provides services to which a registered trademark is falsely applied will be guilty of an offense and liable to the aforementioned fine and imprisonment.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua embraced the nickname ‘Riggy G’ in September 2022, praising lifestyle content creator Ivy Chelimo for her creativity in coming up with the name. The name became widely popular on the internet months after Chelimo had tweeted it during the deputy presidential debate on July 19, 2022, held at the Catholic University.
“I am even amazed that our creative young people have given me a nickname. They have looked at my name, Rigathi Gachagua, and looked for something more melodious and called me Riggy G,” the Deputy President stated.
