Kenya's parliament committee met with KEBS to hash out a replacement for the outdated 1974 Standards Act, and lawmakers are saying the half-century-old rules can't keep up with how fast the economy is moving. Tharaka MP George Murugara, who chairs the legal affairs panel, wants a framework built to last another 50 years instead of limping along with colonial-era regulations.
KEBS officials told the committee their inspectors don't have enough muscle to shut down sketchy factories or yank dangerous products off shelves, and they're pushing for enforcement powers that actually match the risks consumers face. The draft legislation leans hard on constitutional guarantees about consumer protection, and bureaucrats say the current setup doesn't give the government the tools to fulfill those obligations.
KEBS officials told the committee their inspectors don't have enough muscle to shut down sketchy factories or yank dangerous products off shelves, and they're pushing for enforcement powers that actually match the risks consumers face. The draft legislation leans hard on constitutional guarantees about consumer protection, and bureaucrats say the current setup doesn't give the government the tools to fulfill those obligations.
