Kenya Bureau of Standards Urges Manufacturers to Adopt New Standards to Boost Trade

Nairobi — The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has called on local manufacturers and importers to conform to the 205 new standards which have been developed targeting various products to boost their competitiveness.

In the third quarter of Financial Year 2021/2022 (January to March 2022), KEBS developed and published the new standards categorized into seven categories which include; Food & Agriculture standards (5), Chemical standards (49), Cosmetics standards (18).

Others include Services’ standards (21), Leather and Textile Standards (27), Engineering Standards (26) and Electrotechnical and ICT Standards (59).

Speaking during the inaugural Emerging Standards Workshop to assess their implementation on Monday, Kenya Bureau of Standards MD, Bernard Njiraini said manufacturers are expected to ensure they adhere to the new standards when six months window after gazettement elapses in December this year.

“It is our belief that this platform will create a better understanding of standards and their importance to the country and our day-to-day lives. May this be a step of inculcating a culture of quality in Kenya,” said Njiraini.

According to Njiraini, the adoption of the new standards will ensure Kenyan products become competitive on the world stage as they will be used in their different sectors to spur the growth of our industries.

Food and Agriculture has had five new standards develop for tea industry which includes code of practice standard and raw materials extraction specification, dairy cattle feed premix specification, poultry feed premises specification and compounded indigenous (kienyeji) chicken feed specification.

KEBS also developed — Biogas systems — Code of practice for farm and industrial-scale biogas systems, to ensure sustained use of biogas in Kenya as the technology continues to gain more traction amongst Kenyans.

“Biogas systems are complex process engineering plants that place extensive demands on the right planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance. Plant designers, installers and users thus require information on environmental and emission protection aspects and health and safety requirements for the above-mentioned phases. This standard provides guidance on planning aspects, design, construction, operation, maintenance, environmental protection, health and safety,” said Njiraini.

Leather and Textile standards are expected to address specifications for cotton bedsheets, men’s trousers and ladies briefs while the Engineering Standards will guide on the use of alternative building materials such as bamboo, concrete and development of ceramics.

The Kenya Bureau of Standards has also approved the adoption of a standard on Greenhouse Gases.

The standards provide guidelines and requirements for greenhouse gas emissions management, climate change impact and risk assessment, adaptation planning, green financing etc aimed at reducing greenhouse gases and promoting resilience.

According to Njiraini, long-term socio-economic development can only be achieved by safeguarding the environment.

“This standard will contribute to the achievement of 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are closely inter-linked to environmental sustainability,” said Njiraini.

KEBS also came up with a standard to guide the manufacture of reusable sanitary pads that are safe and affordable for households.

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