This archive report was first published on 12 September 2019.
Published on September 12, 2019, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has introduced new standards to reduce environmental pollution.
The new guidelines include the KS1515:2019 Code of Practice for Inspection of Road Vehicles, which sets age and emission limits for rigid trucks, commercial passenger vehicles, tractor heads, and prime movers.
According to the new standards, rigid trucks with a load capacity of 3.5 tonnes and above will not be allowed into the country if they are more than one year older than their year of first registration.
Additionally, the policy regulations state that the difference between the year of first registration and the year of manufacture shall not be more than one year.
The new standards are expected to benefit local vehicle assemblers by banning imports of used trucks with load capacities of 3.5 tonnes and above.
Furthermore, the regulation prohibits the importation of tractor heads and prime movers older than five years from July 2019, three years from July 2021, and zero age from July 2023.
KEBS has also unveiled new regulations for the manufacture of non-woven bags, which will follow the KNWA2884:2019 standards stipulating a minimum grammage of 50gsm.
The non-woven bags will contain additional information such as the manufacturer's name, address, and/or registered trade, dimensions of the bag, declaration of country of manufacture and origin.
Moreover, the bags will have a standardization mark and instructions for storage and disposal.
