The Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KEBS) has confirmed that Acting Managing Director Esther Ngari’s statement that some locally manufactured and sold in supermarkets were not tested was taken out of context.
The agency revealed in a statement issued on Friday, August 11, that for products to be placed on the shelves, they must have a diamond mark of quality – a superior mark issued only after the product has undergone extensive testing.
The issue of fake products entering the market arose after Ngari admitted on Thursday, August 10, that the agency trusts certified manufacturers to protect consumers by selling high-quality goods.
“Issuance of the standardization mark attests to an assessed capability to manufacture compliant products, but it does not transfer responsibility for ensuring compliance of the specific products being manufactured in the assessed factory to the government or the regulator,” Ngari stated before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
As a result, KEBS argued that products go through a five-step process to ensure compliance with market standards.
The first step is to vet the manufacturer to ensure that they are a registered legal entity. KEBS then inspects the manufacturing facilities to determine the manufacturing process’s ability to ensure that the products are safe for human use or consumption.
“This entails controls to ensure that the raw materials used are of the right quality, production is managed within specified conditions, and final products are properly packaged and labeled per the required standards.
“Further, the manufacturer is required to test or make arrangements for testing their products regularly. Records of these quality measures must be maintained and produced to KEBS for verification during surveillance inspections,” KEBS statement read in part.
The agency also stated that before issuing a certification mark, it samples and tests the product.
The manufacturer must sign a certification contract with KEBS, which is a systematic guide that ensures the manufacturer will carry out the agreed-upon quality assurance activities throughout the validity period.
According to KEBS, it continuously monitors the products after they are released to the public during the validity period of the certification.
In addition, the agency conducts surveillance inspections, which include sampling at the factory or market.
