This archive report was first published on 22 August 2019.
Published on August 22, 2019, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has taken a significant step towards improving standardization and quality infrastructure in the country by reconstituting its technical committees.
According to Bernard Njiraini, Ag. Managing Director, KEBS, the reconstitution of National Technical Committees was informed by the principle of transparency to ensure all interested parties are represented and to facilitate openness in development of standards leading to free and fair processes.
Speaking during the first ever National Technical Committee stakeholder forum, Njiraini stated that the reconstitution of National Technical Committees was a move away from the exclusionist approach of the past, where standards development was confirmed to a few organizations and individuals.
Under the new constitution, Technical Committees will have diverse expert representation including academia, research institutions, regulators, traders, industrialists, consumer federations among others.
So far, a National Technical Committee of over 300 members drawn from all over the country is already in place. The committee will be responsible for preparing and maintaining national standards.
KEBS has developed 9800 standards and has participated in harmonization of over 1500 EAC Standards to facilitate free movement of goods within the EAC region as per the East African Community (EAC) treaty and EAC common market protocol.
