Kenya PVOC certification
Definition
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is a statutory body of the Kenyan government responsible for developing and implementing standards for imported and domestically produced products for the Kenyan market. This is a conformity assessment and verification procedure applicable to each exporting country for specific goods, to ensure that the quality of imported products and the health and safety of Kenyan people, as well as environmental protection, comply with Kenyan technical regulations and mandatory standards or approved equivalent standards.
Basic elements and process of certificate issuance
Key elements required for PVoC certification:
——Pre shipment inspection of goods;
——Sampling, testing and analysis conducted in accredited laboratories;
——Review the production process of the product;
——Document review;
Basic authentication procedures
To provide maximum flexibility to importers, the PVoC (Pre Export Verification of Conformity) program has designed three inspection methods for obtaining a Certificate of Conformity (CoC). The choice of method depends on the frequency of the exporter's shipments to Kenya and their ability to maintain the quality level at the time of initial certification application.
1. Apply for inspection
The Kenyan Bureau of Standards (KEBS) will send the data of the Import Declaration Form (IDF) filled out by the importer in electronic form to the PVoC inspection execution agency in the supplier's country. The PVoC inspection execution agency will contact the exporter and provide them with an Inspection Request Form (RFC). Exporters must complete the application form and send it along with the formal invoice to the relevant inspection agency, and provide information about the inspection date and location. If possible, exporters should provide copies of test reports and registration certificates (or licenses) when sending RFC forms.
2. Determine the inspection method
The PVoC inspection executing agency will review the RFC and accompanying documents, and confirm the appropriate inspection methods and standards.
3. Product testing
After confirming the completeness of the documents provided by the applicant, the PVoC inspection executing agency will arrange for product sampling and testing before the shipment date, which will be conducted by an authorized or ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory. Exporters should wait for test results before shipping.
If the exporter wishes to provide their own testing certificate, the certificate must come from a laboratory with an ISO/IEC system or other recognized laboratory. Exporters have the obligation to arrange PVoC inspection execution agency staff to witness the testing according to the requirements of the inspection agency. The test report should be submitted to the PVoC inspection executing agency along with a copy of the laboratory accreditation. The test report must clearly indicate that the goods will be shipped to Kenya.
4. On site inspection
The inspection executing agency will contact the inspection applicant and agree on the time and location of the goods inspection. Sensory inspection is usually used to verify whether the goods meet the relevant requirements and ensure that the goods are consistent with the products previously sampled and submitted to the laboratory for testing. If necessary, test samples can be taken during the inspection process for testing. However, in this case, the exporter should wait for the test results to be obtained before shipping.
5. Issuing certificates
Exporters should submit the final invoice to the PVoC inspection executing agency as soon as possible after the inspection is completed. The PVoC inspection executing agency will conduct the final review of all testing and inspection reports and issue a CoC (Certificate of Conformity) or NCR (Certificate of Non Conformity). The inspection executing agency will indicate all corrective measures required before issuing the certificate. The CoC certificate will only be issued after the discrepancies have been corrected.