G/TBT/2/Add.86/Rev.2  
 
1 October  2019 
(19-6336) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
 
 IMPLEM ENTATION AND ADMINIST RATION OF THE  
AGREEMENT ON T ECHNICAL BA RRIERS  TO TRADE 
COMMUNICATION FROM  KENYA 
Revision  
The following communication, dated 25 September  2019, has been rece ived from the delegation of 
Kenya . 
 
 
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1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  In accordance with Article 15.2 of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) 
and considering the decision of the TBT Committee of 14 July 1995 concerning the Statement on 
Implementation and Administration as contained in document G/TBT/1/Rev.5  of 11 December 1997, 
the Government of the Republic of Kenya, accepted the Agreements establishing WTO,  the TBT 
Agreement and the associated Legal Instrument included in Annexes 1,2 and 3.  
1.2.  The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, State Department for Trade is responsible 
for implementation of the WTO Agreements, and  has the overall responsibility of ensuring that the 
obligations under the agreements are fulfilled (Article 10.10) . According to the requirements of the 
Agreement , the Government of the Republic of Kenya has designated Kenya Bureau of Standards 
(KEBS) as the National Enquiry Point (NEP) for TBT.  
1.3.  The principal responsibilities of the National Enquiry Point for Kenya include: responding to 
technical enquiries from other WTO members regarding Kenyan domestic Regulations, Standards 
and Conformity Assessment Pr ocedures in force; and fulfil ment of the notification obligations under 
the TBT Agreement (Article  2.9.2).  
1.4.  The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is a Statutory Body of Government, established by the 
Standards Act CAP 496 of the Laws of Kenya, and is mandate d to provide for the preparation and 
promotion of standards in relation to goods, services, processes and practices. The implementation 
and administration of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade is therefore supported by the 
Standards Act CAP 496 L aws of Kenya.  
1.5.  Notices concerning standards and technical regulations developed, issued or adopted by 
regulatory bodies in the country are published in the Kenya Gazette and Legal Notices (subsidiary 
legislation) respectively.  
1.6.  The aims and objectives of KEBS include:  
a.  Standards Development and harmonization  
b.  Promotion of standardization in Commerce and Industry;  
c.  Provision of testing and calibration services;  G/TBT/2/Add.86/Rev.2  
 
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  d.  Undertaking education work in standardization, Metrology and Confo rmity   
 Assessment and practical application of standards  
e.  Product and system certification  
f.  Enforcement of standards – Inspection and Market Surveillance  
g.  Dissemination of standards information through Standards Information Centre  
h.  Provision of infor mation on Standards, Technical Regulations on Conformity 
 Assessment Procedures through the WTO TBT National Enquiry Point  
2  CODE OF GOOD PRACTIC E: 
2.1.  KEBS has accepted the Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of 
Standards, Annex  3 to the Agreement ( G/TBT/CS/N/24) . 
2.2.  Notices of all proposed draft stand ards are published in the KEBS Standards Work Programme 
Bulletin (issued bi -annually). Interested persons are given a period of 60 (sixty) days to make written 
comments on Kenya's Notifications under Articles 2.9.4 and 5.6.4 of the Agreement.  
2.3.  The Ministry Health has the responsibility for the quality of goods and services which are the 
subject of trade under the Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act, CAP 254 and Public Health 
Act, CAP 242 respectively.  
3  CERTIFICATION AND IN SPECTION  
3.1.  KEBS operates a  product certification scheme in line with the Standards Act, Cap.496 of the 
Laws of Kenya. This scheme leads to award of permits to use the product certification marks of 
quality.  
3.2.  KEBS Certification Body (KEBS CB) operates under ISO/IEC 17021: Conformity assessment. 
KEBS CB is accredited by Dutch Accreditation Council RVA. Certification services in Kenya include 
Quality  (QMS), Environmental (EMS), Food Safety (HACCP), Occupational Health and Safety 
Management Systems (OHSAS), Information Management Systems  among others.  
4  METROLOGY  
4.1.  The National Measurement Standards maintained at KEBS are traceable to the International 
System of Units  (SI). The KEBS metrology and testing laboratories are accredited to international 
standard ISO/IEC 17025 on general requiremen ts for competence of testing and calibration 
laboratories. Kenya through KEBS is a member state of the Bureau International des Poids et 
Measures (BIPM).  
4.2.  The Weights and Measures Department is in charge of Legal Metrology and enforces two Acts 
of parliamen t; Namely the Weights and Measures Act Cap 513 laws of Kenya and the Trade 
Descriptions Act Cap.503.  
4.3.  These laws establish a uniform system of units of measurement, control weighing and 
measuring equipment in use for trade, control transactions in some good s, and to protect the public 
against false trade descriptions.  
5  ACCREDITATION SERVIC E 
5.1.  The Kenya National Accreditation Service (KENAS) was established under the State 
Corporations Act Cap.466; vide Legal Notice No.55 of May 2009 as the National Accreditatio n Body 
(NAB) mandated to offer accreditation services in the Kenya. KENAS operates under ISO/IEC 17020 
–General criteria for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection. KENAS is a 
member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) an d; the International Laboratory 
cooperation (ILAC).  G/TBT/2/Add.86/Rev.2  
 
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  5.2.  Kenya's National Enquiry Point on TBT is set out below. All enquiries concerning the Kenyan 
implementation of the Agreement should be addressed to:  
WTO TBT National  Enquiry Point for Kenya 
Kenya Bureau  of Standards  (KEBS)  
KEBS  Centre, Popo  Road,  off Mombasa Road,  
P.O. Box 54974 – 00200 Nairobi Ken ya 
Tel: (+ 254 020) 6948000   
Mobile: 0724 255242, 0734 600471  
Email: info@kebs.org  
 
Contact  Person: Lucy Ikonya - Manager, Trade Affairs   
 
 
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