KEBS Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC)
The Kenya Bureau of Standards is established under the Standards Act, Cap 496. The current legal regime for import conformity is the Standards Act, the Imports (Standardization) (Kenya Standards Mark) Order, and the operative Pre-Export Verification of Conformity to Standards Programme (PVoC) instituted by Legal Notice No. 78 of 2005 and revised by gazette notice in 2020.
PVoC is a destination-inspection-replacement programme. Goods are inspected and certified compliant with Kenyan standards at the point of export, before loading. The output is a Certificate of Conformity (CoC), mandatory for KRA customs release. Goods arriving without CoC are subject to a 15% CIF penalty plus destination inspection (1.5–2.5% of CIF) plus 30+ day clearance delay.
The Three Routes
| Route | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Route A | Unregistered Product Certification | Per-consignment inspection plus sampling and laboratory testing. First-time importers of any product. |
| Route B | Registered Product Certification | Per-consignment inspection plus valid product registration in advance. Reduces lead time. |
| Route C | Licensed Product Certification | Quality-system audit plus product registration. Repeat importers of fertilizers and FMCG. Lowest per-shipment cost. |
The buyer chooses the Route with its appointed PVoC partner. Fertilizer is currently restricted to Route A under KEBS PVoC policy — KEBS removed fertilizer (alongside LPG, motorcycle helmets and roofing sheets) from Route B and Route C eligibility following recurring non-compliance history. Route B and Route C economics described below apply to non-fertilizer regulated categories — vehicles, electronics, FMCG. For fertilizer cargoes in 2026, Route A is the operating reality and Sarpah introductions are scoped accordingly. Sarpah introduces and supports; the importer of record holds the registration.
Documentation Flow
- Buyer issues IDF in Kenya via KenTrade (2.5% of CIF, minimum KES 5,000); IDF specifies supplier, invoice, port, HS code
- Supplier in country of export contacts the appointed KEBS PVoC partner
- PVoC partner performs document review and physical inspection at place of loading or warehouse
- PVoC partner issues CoC referencing the IDF and product specs
- CoC is uploaded to KEBS and KenTrade; available for KRA Customs at Mombasa
- Goods arrive Mombasa; KRA verifies CoC; on green-lane release, customs clearance proceeds
Timeline from inspection to CoC issuance:
- Route A: 5–10 business days
- Route B/C: 2–5 business days
Approved PVoC Partners (2026–2029 cycle)
KEBS appoints PVoC partners by competitive tender for multi-year contracts. The 2026–2029 cycle is effective 19 February 2026 and lists nine appointed firms.
| Partner | Coverage |
|---|---|
| SGS | Europe, North America, Latin America, Middle East, Asia Pacific |
| Bureau Veritas | Europe, North America, Africa, Middle East, Asia |
| Intertek International | Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East |
| Cotecna | Europe, Latin America, Africa, China-origin (reinstated under the 2026–2029 cycle) |
| China Certification & Inspection Group (CCIC) | China-origin (Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia) |
| China Hansom | China-origin and selected Asian markets |
| ASTC (Hangzhou) | China-origin and selected Asian markets |
| TÜV Rheinland Middle East FZE | Middle East and selected Asian markets |
| QSI Japan | Japan |
For typical corridor cargoes:
- Russia / Kazakhstan / Uzbekistan: SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek. SGS Russia desks operate from Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Murmansk. SGS Kazakhstan from Almaty. Bureau Veritas Black Sea from Constanta. Intertek Caspian from Aktau.
- China-origin (Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia): Cotecna and CCIC are the contracted PVoC bodies under the 2026–2029 cycle; ASTC and China Hansom also operate appointments.
- Egypt / Morocco: SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek
- Brazil (Icumsa-45 sugar, dry milk re-export): SGS, Cotecna, Intertek
KEBS Marks
| Mark | Application | Statutory basis |
|---|---|---|
| Standardization Mark | Locally manufactured products conforming to a Kenyan Standard. Mandatory under LN 78 of 2005 | Standards Act Cap 496 |
| Diamond Mark of Quality | Voluntary premium mark for products consistently exceeding Kenyan Standards. Three-year licence; quarterly factory inspection | Standards Act Cap 496 |
| S-Mark (Import Standardization Mark) | Imported goods that comply with Kenyan Standards at import — applied to certain regulated retail goods (cosmetics, electronics) | Standards Act Cap 496 |
Bulk fertilizer in granular form is not marked with a physical S-Mark (impractical on bulk). Compliance is documented via CoC + KEPHIS / AFA registration.
Costs
- PVoC inspection fee: 0.45–0.75% of FOB; minimum USD 250 per consignment
- Penalty for non-compliance (no CoC at destination): 15% of CIF under the Imports (Standardization) Order, plus destination inspection cost (1.5–2.5% of CIF), plus 30+ day clearance delay
- Validity: CoC is consignment-specific. Product registration (Route B) is valid 1–3 years. Licensing (Route C) is typically 2 years subject to surveillance audit
- Standards Levy: 0.2% of ex-factory cost of locally manufactured goods, capped KES 400,000 per quarter
KEBS Standards for Sarpah Lines
Fertilizer
| KS | Title |
|---|---|
| KS 158:2018 | Solid fertilizers — Methods of sampling |
| KS 1900-1:2011 | Mineral fertilizers — Specification — Urea |
| KS 1900-2:2011 | Mineral fertilizers — Specification — Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) |
| KS 1900-3:2011 | Mineral fertilizers — Specification — Diammonium phosphate (DAP) |
| KS 1900-4:2011 | Mineral fertilizers — Specification — Sulphate of ammonia (AS) |
| KS 1900-5:2011 | Mineral fertilizers — Specification — Single superphosphate (SSP) |
| KS 1900-6:2011 | Mineral fertilizers — Specification — Triple superphosphate (TSP) |
| KS 1900-7:2011 | Mineral fertilizers — Specification — Compound NPK fertilizers |
| KS 1900-8 | Mineral fertilizers — Muriate of potash (MOP) |
| KS 2492 series | Liquid fertilizers |
| KS EAS 750 | Fertilizers — Specifications (East African Standard, harmonised under EAC SQMT Act 2006) |
Grain & Food
| KS | Title |
|---|---|
| KS EAS 2 | Maize grains — Specification |
| KS EAS 767 | Wheat grain — Specification |
| KS EAS 44 | Aflatoxin ceiling — 10 ppb |
Edible Oil
KS standards aligned with Codex Alimentarius for sunflower oil (CXS 19), rapeseed oil and palm oil.
How Sarpah Supports
The buyer's KEBS PVoC partner choice is the buyer's commercial decision; what Sarpah does is introduce buyers to producers whose loadports are routinely served by the appointed firms — SGS at Novorossiysk, Taman and Vysotsk; Bureau Veritas at Poti, Constanta and Ust-Luga; Intertek at Aktau (fertilizer) and Kuryk (grain); Cotecna and CCIC at Chinese ports. (Tuapse was withdrawn from the corridor following the EU 20th sanctions package addition of Tuapse to its listed-ports schedule in April 2026; see Sanctions, AML & KYC.) The CoC is issued and uploaded to KenTrade before vessel sailing as standard, and Sarpah stays close to the inspection choreography so that nothing arrives at Mombasa without an in-force CoC.