Nairobi, June 16 -- A pair of Gucci sneakers at a fraction of the price. A designer-looking handbag that passes for the real thing on Instagram. In Kenya's growing counterfeit luxury market, appearances are increasingly winning over authenticity.

Driven by social media pressure and a desire to project status, demand for fake high-end brands is booming, with labels such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, Gucci, and Tommy Hilfiger among the most counterfeited.

In a recent crackdown in April, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority seized fake items valued Sh87 million out of Sh201 million goods across Nairobi, Eastern and Nyeri regions, underscoring the scale of the problem. Shoes and clothing were by far the largest category, representing 43 percent of the s...