KEBS urges Kenyans to verify product quality marks to enhance safety
KEBS also urged Kenyans to report any products lacking credible standardisation marks or those that appear suspicious.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has called on Kenyans to exercise greater vigilance when purchasing products, urging consumers to verify the authenticity of goods before making purchases.
KEBS advised consumers to always check for the standardisation marks displayed on products and verify them using the bureau’s official website.
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"Buy products which you can see have product certification marks, that is, standardisation marks of quality," KEBS stated. "This mark of quality can be verified online, where you just type the number you have seen on our website and see whether the permit displayed there is genuine or not."
KEBS emphasised that consumers bear an important responsibility in safeguarding their well-being by confirming that the products they buy are permitted to be on the market.
"That is one way of safeguarding yourself as a consumer, ensuring by yourself that what is right before you is permitted to be in the market," the bureau added.
In addition to personal verification, KEBS urged Kenyans to report any products lacking credible standardisation marks or those that appear suspicious. The bureau encouraged consumers to flag any questionable products to allow swift intervention.
"Blow the whistle, as a consumer, if at any given time you are getting in contact with a product whose quality you are suspecting or not quite sure of," KEBS advised.
"Raise the matter anywhere through all channels: direct phone calls to the KEBS offices, through our social media platforms and all this will trigger action so that we work together to ensure the products that are out there in the market are actually of the right quality, safe for your consumption, and actually certified and permitted to be in the market."
KEBS further assured the public that it has been undertaking regular monitoring and surveillance operations to ensure compliance with quality standards. These operations form part of the bureau’s broader schemes of supervision and market control.
The bureau warned that any individual or company found misusing certification marks would face strict sanctions to protect both consumers and the country’s manufacturing reputation.
"If at all misuse of the mark is detected, the ones misusing the mark are equally sanctioned immediately," KEBS said.
"Either you are infringing on someone's sweat, exposing people to uncertified products and generally endangering lives, or even spoiling our reputation as a manufacturing hub within the region and jeopardising the opportunities to trade within the East Africa region."
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