With a constantly developing market for imported goods, Kenya offers a strong and varied opportunity for those involved in international trade.

In order to assure Kenyan consumers of the quality and safety of these goods and to protect Kenyan manufacturers from unfair competition, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), a statutory organisation of the government of Kenya, implemented a very clear set of guidelines in 2005 called the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) to Standards Programme.

In November 2008, Intertek was awarded a further 3 year contract by KEBS to operate the PVoC programme on its behalf in regions such as the UK, Central Europe, Central and Southern America, Middle East, Central and South Africa.  For a full list of the distribution of regions please email info.government@intertek.com or contact your local Intertek dedicated Kenya expert whose details can be found in the PVoC Country Office list.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: With immediate effect the extended product list  of the 1st May 2009 has been suspended.  This suspension is until further notice.  Please refer to the Appendix C (Products Covered) and Appendix D (Products Excluded).

KEBS Responsibilities

KEBS is responsible for the adoption and application of the standards for both imported and domestically manufactured products in the Kenyan market.  The PVoC to Standards Programme is a conformity assessment and verification procedure applied to specific Goods/Products at the respective exporting countries, to ensure their compliance with the applicable Kenyan Technical Regulations and Mandatory Standards or approved equivalents.

The primary objective of applying Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) to Standards Programme is:

• to ensure quality of products, health and safety
• protect the environment for Kenyans

Requirements of the PVoC

• All consignments subject to PVoC must obtain a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) issued by an authorised PVoC Agent, such as Intertek, prior to shipment.
• The CoC is a mandatory Customs Clearance document in Kenya; consignments arriving at Kenyan Ports without this document will be denied entry into the country.
• In exception cases, at the sole discretion of KEBS, specific consignments may be allowed to undergo desitination inspections after receiving the appropriate application from importers.  Such consignments will be subject to a penaly of 15% of the CIF value of the goods plus 15% bond and the testing and inspection costs.  All other expenses incurred at destination will be borne solely by the importer.

The key elements undertaken in the PVoC are:

• Physical inspection prior to shipment
• Sampling, testing an analysis in accredited laboratories
• Quality Audit of production processes
• Documentary review of conformity with regulations
• Issuance of Certificate of Conformity (CoC) or Non Conformity Report (NCR) as appropriate.

Responsibilities of:

Importers

Ensure their suppliers are conversant with import quality requirements and that their consignments are accompanied with a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from the authorised PVoC Agent.

Exporters

Ensure their products or goods meet the regulations and quality requirements of Kenya before shipment by obtaining the necessary Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from the authorised PVoC Agent for all products subject to the PVoC programme.

KEBS

Ensure that only quality goods gain entry into the country as provided for in the Standards Act Cap 496, Laws of Kenya and the Quality Imports Order No.78 July 2005, thereby offering the necessary protection to Kenya's consumers in safety, health and environmental matters.

Routes of Certification

Route A - Occasional Exports

• No registration
• Testing and Inspection
• Issuance of CoC

Route B - Frequent Exporters

• Product registration
• Inspection and random testing
• Issuance of CoC

Route C - Frequent and high volume manufacturers

• Product licensing
• Licence review and random testing
• Issuance of CoC

Intertek can provide a tailor-made service that meets your particular needs, including:

• Submission of assessment requests online
• Automated e-mails for status of certificates
• Flexible certificate delivery solutions for high volume users

For assistance in exporting to Kenya, email info.government@intertek.com or contact your local Intertek dedicated Kenya expert whose details can be found in the PVoC Country Office list.