KEBS feted among top in Africa for certifying companies

Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has been feted together with Standards Association of Zimbabwe as the two standardization bodies in Africa, qualified to conduct audits and certify companies.
African Organization for Standardizations (ARSO) Secretary General, Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana said that the launch of EcoMark Certification Africa (EMA) label is historic and it will help in addressing setbacks faced by African companies seeking to access global markets with their goods and services.
“This certification offers African firms a strong selling point,” he further added.
According to Nsengimana, with this EMA certification, companies have a competitive edge in the local and international markets. Their products are easily acceptable as they meet the set environmental standards, among others.
He further reiterated that EMA’s sustainability marks three components which are social, environmental, and economic sectors.
Currently, the label is being piloted in ten African Countries.
EMA will provide confidence to all interested parties particularly the consumers that a product or service provides sustainable products. This will ensure that there are new markets within and out of Africa.
Five Kenyan companies and one from Rwanda became the first African entities to be recognized and awarded the EMA label, a certification that shows their goods and services have been produced in a sustainable manner that incorporates social and environmental aspects in the production processes.
“The use of one common label awarded on the basis of clear threshold criteria combines high credibility with the value of African brand recognition,” Nsengimana explained.
Kenya Bureau of Standards Ag. Director Market Surveillance Caroline Outa said that they were proud and satisfied that they were trailblazers, the first African National Standard bodies (NSBs) to be licensed to audit and provide certification for the EMA label.
Outa added that they are cognizant of the development and growth prospects that the EMA label presents to Kenya and Africa.
She assured that they will commit to ensuring African products meet acceptable environment, social and economic thresholds for sustainable economic development.
EMA is a certification recognition system for sustainability standards under ARSO. It is a certification for goods and services which meet such environmental, societal, economic and legal principles and criteria for Arica Eco-labelling standards (AESs).
By Valencia Nasimiyu/ Elizabeth Wambui