Plans to have a key laboratory to test imported goods for conformity with the Kenyan standards are at an advanced stage. Kenya Bureau of Standards Managing Director Charles Ongwae says the standards body is currently procuring an office in Mombasa to host the key laboratory that will mainly focus on testing goods shipped in through the Port of Mombasa.
The Port of Mombasa is the busiest in the region given that a big number of goods imported into the country or other East and Central African Countries make their way through the facility. The Kenya Bureau of Standards had plans to construct a testing laboratory in Mombasa to test such goods especially the ones for the Kenyan market.
However, the first tendering process for the 1.3 billion shillings facility had been marred by irregularities and controversies forcing its cancellation, with the former KEBS Managing Director Eve Oduor suspended in August 2013. Oduor was replaced several months later. Cancellation of the tender took a legal twist when the matter found itself in court. Despite this, KEBS moved on.
According to the current KEBS Managing Director Charles Ongwae, the standards body is currently at an advanced stage of securing a premises to host the laboratory. Currently, most goods are taken to the KEBS headquarters in Nairobi for testing purposes. The revelations comes as the standards body plans to effect new secure import standardization marks by July next year.
So far, 10 million such stamps have been issued to importers. Ongwae says an inquiry into radiation in vehicles imported from Japan has been completed and the report handed over to the cabinet secretary for industrialization. He was speaking during a meeting between KEBS and business leaders on the new ISO regulations.
Source: KBC

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