Kebs says new standards vital as cities come up in counties
Kebs Standards Director Esther Ngari. She said the organisation has developed various standards which address renewable energy products and services in line with SDG7.
Experts have called for collaborative efforts towards the development and implementation of various standards across various sectors.
This call came as the globe marked the World Standards Day (WSD), which is observed every October 14th, as a way of paying tribute to thousands of experts who are involved in standardisation work and who develop standards.
Launched in 1970, the WSD is also a day which offers opportunity to increase the understanding of the importance of standardisation.
“It is a very important day because these experts develop standards voluntarily,” said Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) Director of Standards Development and Trade Esther Ngari.
“As Kebs, we celebrate experts from both the public and private sector who participate in various technical committees to develop standards which are then published,” she said.
Available on Kebs website
Ms Ngari said that Kebs has developed and published about 10,500 standards, all which are currently available on its website.
This year, Kebs has published about 1,000 standards from different sectors which support trade and commerce.
The year 2022’s WSD theme was ‘Shared Vision for a Better World’.
Standards ensure that products and services work as expected, thus enhancing life’s safety and ensuring that people enjoy them.
They are key to the achievement of the 2030 agenda and creating a more sustainable and fairer world.
Informal sectors
“In line with Standard Development Goal (SGD) 6 on water and sanitation, this year Kebs published standards on water and low cost sewerage systems which are supposed to be used in the informal sectors,” said Ms Ngari.
Kebs, she added, has also developed various standards which address renewable energy products and services in line with SDG7.
“We have also developed standards in line with SDG11 on smart cities and communities. These standards will assist especially in our counties as we come up with new cities,” she said.
Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD) Director Benjamin Tito said standards are key in harmonising code of practice and facilitating trade among nations by creating equal opportunities.
Standardisation mark
“By having standards, we are able to have a common denominator which is the standardisation mark, and this is the quality required by all market players,” said Mr Tito.
Kenya is implementing the Kenya Standard KS1758 which applies to all operators in this sector.
KS1758 comprises of two sectors with the first covering the floriculture industry while the second addresses the fruits and vegetables sector.
“I call on all value chain players to follow the stipulated code of practice and to ensure all produce is safe, production is ethically done and processes ensure environmental sustainability,” said Mr Tito.
Both Kebs and HCD have been among key beneficiaries of the Market Access Upgrade Program (Markup) Kenya, which is supported by the European Union. It aims at enhancing competitiveness and market access for selected Kenyan produce.
The programme is implemented by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation in partnership with the government and the private sector.
Markup Kenya National Project Coordinator Maina Karuiru emphasised on the importance of standards, saying they are key to ensuring safety, quality and reliability of products and services.
“Standards are also key towards facilitating trade and protecting the environment,” said Mr Karuiru.
Training farmers
Markup Kenya, he added, has been training farmers across selected counties on global good agricultural practices (GAP) which he terms as the minimal standards which require compliance.
Close to 1,500 farmers from nine counties have so far received training on GAP, while extension officers have been equipped with knowledge to keep training more producers for sustainability purposes.
“All of us have a role to play in creating more sensitisation towards enhancing food safety and broadening markets locally, regionally and in the international arena,” said Mr Karuiru
He called on the government, development partners, non-governmental organisations, producers, the private sector and other players to remain vigilant in ensuring adherence to relevant standards across all sectors.
