North Rift officer in charge of quality assurance and inspection Barnabus Ndiema addressing the press in Eldoret town on Wednesday, January 24, 2018. [Photo/Elvanis Ronoh]
Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has declared war on counterfeits and substandard goods.
According to the North Rift officer in charge of quality assurance and inspection Barnabus Ndiema, anyone who will be found in possession of substandard goods will be arrested.
“We have started crackdowns and we will work with NACADA and the anti-counterfeit agency to ensure that no substandard product is in the market. We will also close all ‘panya routes’ at the border where we suspect the good get their way into the country,” he said in Eldoret town, Wednesday.
“The counterfeit goods that are currently in the market include substandard construction materials and alcoholic and none alcoholic drinks, but with the concerted efforts it will be a thing of the past,” he added.
He reiterated their mandate includes include preparation of standards relating to products, measurements, materials, processes, regional and international levels; certification of industrial products, assistance in the production of quality goods, quality inspection of imports at ports of entry, improvement of measurement accuracies and dissemination of information relating to standards.
He, however, urged Kenyans to buy products that have Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) marks for their own safety.
“We also call upon Kenyans to act as a watchdog by reporting any goods they suspect to be counterfeit and we will take stern actions against them,” noted Ndiema.