The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBs) has listed bottled water as a high risk product following the increase in illegal bottling companies in the country.
Speaking over the weekend during a two-day workshop In Naivasha, Kebs Managing Director Charles Ongwae said the bureau will shut down water firms selling counterfeit water to the public.
He said plans were at an advanced stage to introduce a local secured standardization mark that would help consumers differentiate between local and imported water and also lock out sub-standard goods.
Kebs said that data from the bureau shows there are only 600 authorised water bottling plants in the country, but the number of illegal ones could be higher than that.
“We shall meet players in the water bottling sector on Wednesday to discuss the future of the industry and ensure that standards are met. We need to observe standards as they facilitate trade and they protect the consumers against harmful products,” said Ongwae.
He added, “We have introduced an SMS programme where a consumer can easily know the validity of a certain product through the use of a mobile phone.”
The MD said the bureau has formed an inter-agency committee that will seek to curb importation of sub-standard and counterfeit products.
He noted that the secured import standardization mark which would come into effect on July 1, would help manage sub-standard imports.
Late last month, detectives from Kebs shut down five water bottling firms in Mombasa County for selling counterfeit water.