Speedy Access to Kenyan Markets With a Draft Certificate of Conformity

PCA NewslettersSeptember 20, 2023

Did you know that approval of a draft Certificate of Conformity (CoC) can save you time and money when you sell products to Kenyan markets? SGS’s digital eTrade platform quickly distributes all the necessary compliance documentation to the parties that need it – in advance of full CoC approval.

eTrade, the SGS system application for PVoC processing, automatically sends a draft CoC to the necessary contacts via the email address provided at the time of applying for a Request for Certification. In the event that there may need to be corrections made, this access to the draft CoC has made the process of the draft approval or rejection much easier.

Once submitted to the exporter, the draft CoC is valid for 48 hours. On approval, and with full proof of payment, the CoC can then be granted.

Kenya’s product conformity assessment (PCA) and certification process requires test reports or quality documents. The great number of categories of products shipped into Kenya led to the development of a guide by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), detailing recognized assessment standards, in order to ease and facilitate the assessment process.

Familiarization and understanding of the required test report based on product group is vital for the submission of appropriate test reports. Product groups are as follows:

Consumer products

Test reports must be from recognized laboratories
In the absence of recognized laboratories in the country of export, test witnessing may be carried out

A recognized laboratory is either an SGS or government-owned ISO/IEC 17025 accredited testing facility, with a scope of accreditation covering the products being certified

Machinery and spares

Test reports must be from the manufacturers with a valid ISO 9001 certificate and/or any other suitable quality management system (QMS) certification

Medical equipment (except medical consumables)

Test reports must have a valid ISO 13485 certificate, and a Pharmacy and Poisons Board permit

Automotive parts and spares

Test report must have a valid IATF 16949 certificate

Chemicals/raw materials without applicable Kenyan standards

Manufacturer’s internal/in-house test reports must have a valid ISO 9001 certificate

The certification routes are designed to accommodate different types of products depending on the inherent risks.

Route A applies to any commodity/product and any trade party. This route requires mandatory consignment inspection and test reports.

Route B for registered products. The request for certification must be completed and submitted at least four days prior to shipment. Please note:

Inspections will be made twice a year
For goods not subject to the intervention inspection, test reports by the manufacturer must be traceable to batches being shipped
For goods being subjected to the intervention inspection, test reports from recognized sources (depending on the category of goods) must be provided

Route C: Like route B, the request for certification must be completed and submitted at least four days before shipment. Please note:

Inspections will be made once a year
For goods not subject to the intervention inspection, test reports by the manufacturer must be traceable to batches being shipped
For goods being subjected to inspection, test reports from a recognized source, depending on the category, must be provided

SGS helps businesses prepare the necessary documentation, enabling faster approvals of draft CoCs for Kenyan trade.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Learn more about Kenya - PVoC Program.

This article can also be found in our PCA Newsletter (Q3/2023) – which keeps you up to date with developments in technical barriers to trade and product conformity assessment.

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