This archive report was first published on 14 November 2019.
On November 14, 2019, the Government announced a reversal of a 2015 directive requiring all imported goods to be inspected at their country of origin.
The directive, which was aimed at curbing the entry of illicit and sub-standard products into the local market, had been opposed by traders who complained of high fees paid to private inspection agencies contracted by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
Trade and Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said the move would ease delays faced by importers and reduce high costs associated with navigating through tests for standards in foreign countries.
According to Munya, the traders had made a good case of how they were being exploited by the agencies hired by KEBS, necessitating the government to change the rules and only have the goods inspected at entry.
“It has been a huge problem for small scale traders for their goods to be cleared by foreign standards bodies. We have now reviewed the decision so that it is not compulsory to test the goods at the country of origin,” Mr Munya said.
The state had contracted private agencies to check goods for compliance at the country of origin, including Cotecna Inspection SA, Bureau Veritas, and Intertek International Ltd.
