Michael Talam
Ag. Chief Manager Certification & Inspection
KENAS

The recent accreditation of Kenya Bureau of Standards’ (KEBS) Product Certification Scheme by Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS) represents far more than a technical milestone – it is a strategic enabler of Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). By embedding globally recognized quality infrastructure across all regions, this achievement directly advances BETA’s core pillars of inclusive growth, the empowerment of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and export-led industrialization.

In a landmark achievement for Kenya’s quality infrastructure, KEBS underwent assessment by KENAS – spanning 129 man-days and deploying a multidisciplinary team of experts, including a professor, two PhD holders, engineers, and scientists. The assessment marked a critical step in elevating Kenya’s conformity assessment capabilities to global standards. It covered KEBS facilities in Nairobi headquarters, North Rift, South Rift, Lake Region, Mt. Kenya Region, Coastal Region, and North Eastern Region, ensuring nationwide compliance with ISO/IEC 17065:2012 requirements.

Unprecedented Scale and Rigor

The accreditation process scrutinized KEBS’s product certification frameworks, including the Diamond Mark (voluntary certification) and Standardization Mark (mandatory certification). Assessors evaluated:

• Technical competence in sectors like food safety, construction materials, and electrical goods.
• Impartiality and consistency in decision-making across regional offices.
• Surveillance protocols for certified products, ensuring ongoing compliance.

This geographic reach underscored KEBS’s capacity to maintain uniform standards nationwide – a vital capability for supporting SMEs in all regions, including remote areas.

Strategic Alignment with African Trade Goals

This accreditation comes at a time when Kenya is accelerating integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). KEBS’s newly accredited status strengthens the basis for mutual recognition of certifications across borders, reducing technical barriers for Kenyan exports. The milestone directly supports the KENAS-ARSO partnership formalized in March 2025, which integrates the ARSO Conformity Assessment Program (ACAP) under ISO/IEC 17065 to promote “Made in Africa” trade.

As KENAS CEO Dr. Walter Ongeti stated: “Trust in the quality and safety of African products is essential for market access. This achievement ensures Kenyan SMEs can trade confidently across the continent.”

Driving SME Growth and Continental Quality Culture

Aligned with World Accreditation Day 2025’s theme – “Accreditation: Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)” – this development reduces redundant testing costs for small businesses. It also positions Kenya as a leader in Africa’s quality infrastructure, following KENAS’s recent accreditation of Zambia Bureau of Standards and ongoing work with Uganda’s and Cameroon’s certification bodies .

Future Pathways: From National Excellence to Global Leadership

The achievement underscores Kenya’s progress toward Vision 2030 goals and positions it as a hub for the International Accreditation Conference scheduled for November 2025, where African quality infrastructure will take center stage.

This milestone transforms quality infrastructure from a technical process into a strategic tool for equitable wealth creation, enabling Kenyan products to access global markets with unwavering credibility.