Principal Secretary for Investment and Industry, Mr Patrick Nduati (Photo / standardmedia.co.ke)
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has said that the country losses millions of shillings due to proliferation of counterfeit food products and substandard construction materials.
The principal Secretary for Investment and industry Mr Patrick Nduati said that the market surveillance conducted indicated that imported products do not conform to health and safety standards.
“Market surveillance indicates that some imported products do not conform to regulations with respect to health, safety and environmental requirements,” he said.
In a bid to curb the counterfeits, he said the authority has contracted a North rift regional office to prevent the entry of inferior products that will serve the Western region of the country.
“The laboratories will further enhance testing and calibration services to support industries that have a major impact in the region, such as flour, milk and tea sectors,” Mr Nduati said.
KEBS managing Director Charles said in an earlier interview that the agency has been targeting food consumables from the Chinese market which have been non compliant in marketing.
The agency now requires all imported products to have secure standardisation marks. This will help trace genuinely imported goods. Consumers are able to know the importer and the product description,” said Ongwae.
Mr Ongwae also said that KEBS has impounded 220kgs of rice and 770kgs of inferior sugar recently.
“An estimated 26,550 pieces of non-confirmative steel bars have been seized since last year in Eldoret and Nairobi and an additional 72,462 pieces of roofing material have been seized in Kisii, Meru, Embu and Mombasa owing to non-compliance in zinc-aluminum coating,” Mr Ogwae said.
The agency is also targeting animals feed products in it newly constructed facilities in the coast region (Mombasa), lake region (Kisumu) and North Rift region (Eldoret).