The government through the proposed Standards Bill 2025 is planning to make radical changes to Kenya’s quality control system that aims at imposing heavy fines and long prison terms on such persons and companies that are found to be selling substandard or counterfeit goods.
The new law, as per the Ministry of Industrialisation, is primarily aimed at consumer protection, enhancing the competitiveness of the industry, and turning Kenya into an industrial hub of the region. Public participation forums are being held by Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to get views from the public on the National Bureau of Standards Bill.
The Industrialisation and Trade Cabinet Secretary Erastus Kateve said the Bill will not only bring the country’s standards system into the modern era but will also make it compliant with the 2010 Constitution thereby providing for more vigorous enforcement and increased accountability in Kenya’s manufacturing and trade sectors.
Local leaders have expressed their delight with the reforms planned in the legislation during a public forum in Uasin Gishu County. However, they stressed the importance of wide stakeholder engagement to make sure that the law takes into account the working conditions of both consumers and producers when coming into effect.
They recognized that the Bill is a major milestone in the strengthening of consumer rights and the regaining of public trust in the quality of goods that are sold in the Kenyan market.
The Standards Bill 2025, which envisages the stiffening of regulatory enforcement, with tougher penalties on counterfeiters and traders who are non-compliant if enacted, is the next legislative era to be ushered in.
