KEBS warns public of fraudulent certification claims by 2 companies

KENYA – The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has cautioned the public about two companies that are falsely claiming to issue approvals on its behalf.

In a notice to the public, KEBS Managing Director Esther Ngari disclosed that the companies, MQA Certification Kenya Ltd and MQA Certification UK Ltd, purported to have been approved by KEBS to issue certifications.

“It has come to our attention that entities going by the name MQA Certification Kenya Ltd and MQA Certification UK Ltd are purporting to have been approved by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to issue the certifications in Kenya.”

“Please note that KEBS has not issued any such approval and is not affiliated with these entities in any way. The false statements, therefore, must be read as a manifest intention to defraud the public,” Ngari cautioned.

Ngari advised the public to avoid dealing with the mentioned companies for any certification services, adding that “Any person seeking certification in Kenya is invited to visit the KEBS website or KEBS offices across the country for necessary information.”

On November 8, KEBS issued a fraud alert on MQA Certification Kenya Ltd for using the agency’s logo and purporting to issue certifications in the country.

“Beware of fraudsters using the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) logo without authorization to conduct certification. KEBS operates and communicates only through the official website and social media accounts,” KEBS stated.

The notice comes at a time when there is an influx of contraband goods in the country. The public has pointed fingers to the standardization body for allowing the distribution of fake standardisation mark stickers and stamps, leading to a proliferation of fake products in the market.

Among the contraband products that has caused public fury is sugar ladened with with heavy metals.

Another flop was in 5,846,000 kilograms of fertiliser imported from Morocco which “failed to meet the standard set by Kebs and was rejected.”

In a statement released, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji said investigations had revealed that KEBS officials had colluded with the directors of OCP to allow into the country fertiliser that had been rejected for being substandard.

“The company appealed against the first testing whereupon the second testing it failed to meet the standard again. That notwithstanding, the fertiliser was released into the market as opposed to destruction or reshipping to the country of origin,” said the DPP.  

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