SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is supporting importers and exporters with the implementation of updated Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) regulations for goods entering Kenya. These new guidelines, effective in 2025, introduce stricter inspection protocols designed to strengthen traceability and consumer protection.

Under the revised framework, importers must comply with measures including mandatory unique consignment references (UCRs) for import declaration forms (IDFs), tighter quality checks on regulated products and enhanced verification of origin documents. Product conformity assessment (PCA) inspections must now align with these updated KEBS requirements to avoid penalties or shipment delays.

Sensitive commodities, such as brown sugar, are subject to increased scrutiny. Importers are advised to provide accurate harmonized system (HS) codes, submit full product descriptions and proactively share all supporting documents in advance. Failure to declare correctly risks inspection delays at the origin and financial penalties at the destination.

To further reduce clearance delays, SGS recommends ensuring IDFs include the approved UCR, avoiding manual edits to the field and verifying that all data submitted to E-Trade matches the IDF exactly.

With decades of PCA experience in East Africa, SGS is ideally placed to help importers navigate these updates. Through early coordination with inspection teams, businesses can streamline the clearance process and ensure shipments reach the Kenyan market without disruption.