Quality Inspection of Imports started in Kenya on 1st July 1995 after the gazettement of Legal Notice No. 227 of 14th June 1995 by the Minister for Commerce and Industry. Subsequent Legal Notices have been issued by the Government to ensure that all Imports into Kenya meet the requirements of Kenya Standards or any other standards approved by KEBS. In particular, Legal Notice No. 66 of 10th June 1999 declares all imports into Kenya which do not meet the requirements of Kenya Standards or any other standards approved by KEBS as prohibited imports.

Imports that are tested by Kenya Bureau of Standards and found not to comply with the requirements of the relevant Kenya Standard(s) will not be allowed to be sold in the Kenyan market. The importer will have to return them to the country of origin at his own cost.

The importer should inform his supplier about the requirements of the Kenya Standard(s) covering the commodity he intends to import. He should enter an agreement with the supplier that if the product does not meet the requirements of the relevant Kenya Standard(s) when inspected at the port of entry in Kenya , it will be shipped back to the country of origin at the supplier’s cost.

Kenya Standards may be purchased at the Kenya Bureau of Standards Head Office in Nairobi or at the KEBS Regional Offices in Mombasa , Kisumu and Eldoret.

With the liberalization of trade in Kenya , importers are free to import all kinds of products into the country. This has resulted in substandard commodities flooding the Kenyan market and competing unfairly with locally manufactured products. A number of Kenyan industries have closed and employment opportunities have been lost. The purpose of Quality Inspection of Imports is to ensure that imports into Kenya comply with the requirements of Kenya Standards to which locally manufactured goods are also tested. This will eliminate the dumping of substandard goods in the local market.

The Government of Kenya has made arrangements for pre-shipment inspection of products coming into the country. It should be emphasized that whereas the pre-shipment inspection of quality is done in accordance with the importer’s specifications, the inspection of quality by the Bureau is intended to ensure compliance with requirements of the relevant Kenya Standard(s) or other standards approved by KEBS.

When goods arrive at the Port of Entry the importer should inform KEBS staff on site who will:

1. Inspect the goods, the entry form and the packing list;
2. Take samples for testing;
3. Release the goods into the country, if found to be complying with relevant Kenya Standard(s).