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KEBS- PVoC (Pre-Export Verification of Conformity) for Imports to Kenya

PVoC (Pre-Export Verification of Conformity) for Imports to Kenya

To assure Kenyan consumers of the safety and quality of the imported goods they buy, and to protect Kenyan manufacturers from unfair competition, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), a statutory organisation of the government of Kenya, has implemented guidelines called the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) to Standards Programme for exports to Kenya.

As of 1st December 2015 KEBS further expanded the regulated product list to include all products except those exempted below:

  • Goods already regulated by other government agencies such as the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate (KEPHIS), Pest Control and Products Board (PCPB).

  • CKD for vehicles imported by registered manufacturers

  • Primary inputs imported by registered manufacturers subject to proof that the materials are direct inputs to the manufacturing process and the finished products made out of the said raw materials are certified by KEBS.

  • Manufacturing plants and industrial spares for own use imported by registered manufacturers.

  • Printed matter (textbook, magazines)

  • Products certified by KEBS under the Diamond Mark Scheme

  • Courier shipments through JKIA (Airport) which are currently cleared under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between KEBS and Courier Industry Association of Kenya (CIAK).

These kebs PVOC agents have been allocated areas of operation in line with the table below:

PVoC Partners Regions of responsibility

No.

Region

Countries

Partners(s) Responsible

1

United Kingdom

1. Wales
2. Scotland

3. Ireland
4. England

Intertek, SGS, Bureau Veritas

2

China

1. China Mainland
2. Hong Kong

3. Taiwan
4. Mongolia

Intertek, SGS, Bureau Veritas, CCIC

3

Indian Subcontinent

1. India
2. Pakistan
3. Sri Lanka

4. Bangladesh
5. Afghanistan
6. Myanmar

Intertek, SGS, Bureau Veritas

4

Far East

1. Japan
2. Korea (South and North)
3. Indonesia
4. Malaysia
5. Philippines

6. Thailand
7. Singapore
8. Vietnam
9. Cambodia

SGS, Bureau Veritas

5

Australia, New Zealand and Polynesia Islands

1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. Papua New Guinea

Intertek, SGS, Bureau Veritas

6

Central America and Caribbean

1. Mexico 
2. Guatemala 
3. El Salvador 
4. Honduras 
5. Nicaragua
6. Costa Rica
7. Panama

8. Venezuela
9. Colombia
10. Brazil
11. Ecuador
12. Peru
13. Bolivia
14. Paraguay

15. Uruguay
16. Argentina
17. Chile
18. Cuba
19. Jamaica
20. Guyana 
21.Dominican Republic

Intertek, SGS, Bureau Veritas

7

Americas

1. USA
2. Canada

Intertek, SGS, Bureau Veritas

8

Ex-Soviet Union Republics

1. Latvia
2. Estonia
3. Lithuania
4. Belarus
5. Ukraine 

6. Georgia 
7. Armenia 
8. Azerbaijan 
9. Turkmenistan 
10. Uzbekistan

11. Kazakhstan
12. Kyrgyzstan
13. Tajikistan
14. Russia
15. Turkistan

SGS, Bureau Veritas

9

Eastern Europe

1. Czech Republic
2. Slovakia
3. Romania
4. Hungary
5. Bosnia- Herzegovina

6. Serbia and Montenegro
7. Bulgaria
8. Macedonia
9. Albania
10. Poland

SGS, Bureau Veritas

10

Mediterranean Europe

1. Turkey
2. Greece
3. Spain

4. Portugal
5. Malta

SGS, Bureau Veritas

11

Central Europe

1. Italy
2. France
3. Switzerland
4. Belgium

5. Germany
6. Austria
7. Netherlands

SGS, Bureau Veritas

12

Nordic Countries

1. Norway
2. Sweden
3. Finland

4. Iceland
5. Denmark

Intertek, SGS, Bureau Veritas

13

Middle East

1. Iran
2. Iraq
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Oman

5. Jordan
6. Syria 
7. Lebanon
8. Israel

9. Yemen
10. Bahrain
11. Qatar
12. Kuwait

Bureau Veritas

14

UAE

1. United Arab Emirates

Intertek, SGS, Bureau Veritas, CCIC

15

Maghreb Countries

1. Algeria
2. Morocco
3. Western Sahara

Bureau Veritas

16

North Africa

1.    Egypt

2.    Tunisia

3.    Libya

4.    Sudan

1.    South Sudan

2.    Chad

3.    Somalia

4.    Eritrea

1.    Ethiopia

2.    Djibouti

SGS

17

West Africa

1.    Mauritania

2.    Senegal

3.    Guinea

4.    Mali

5.    Burkina Faso

6.    Cote D’Ivoire

1.    Ghana

2.    Togo

3.    Nigeria

4.    Equatorial Guinea

5.    Niger

1.    Cameroon

2.    Gambia

3.    Liberia

4.    Guinea Bissau

5.    Sierra Leone

Intertek,  Bureau Veritas

18

Central Africa

1.    DRC

2.    Congo Brazzaville

3.    Angola

1.    Gabon

2.    Central Africa Republic

Bureau Veritas

19

Southern Africa

1.    Zambia

2.    Malawi

3.    Mozambique

4.    Madagascar

1.    Seychelles

2.    Namibia

3.    Lesotho

4.    South Africa

1.    Botswana

2.    Zimbabwe

3.    Swaziland

4.    Mauritius

SGS

Motor vehicle inspection
KEBS offers pre-export inspection of vehicles to determine conformity to the requirements of the KS 1515:2000 - Kenya Standard Code of Practice for Inspection of Road Vehicles through appointed inspection company in Japan, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and the Republic of South Africa.
KEBS has appointed Quality Inspection Services Japan Inc. to carry out inspection of used vehicles and new vehicles not sourced directly from manufacturers or franchise holders. The contact information is as given below.

M/s Quality Inspection Services Inc Japan
22-1608 Daikoku-Futo,
Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Tel: +81-45-500-6033
Fax: +81-45-500-6034
Email: info@qisjp.com 
It is a mandatory requirement that vehicles coming from the mentioned countries are subjected to inspection to demonstrate conformity to the standard before shipment and must be accompanied with CoRs.