EDITORIAL: Kebs move welcome – Business Daily

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) must take stern action against unlicensed manufacturers of sanitisers who have taken advantage of increased demand to sell unproven products to Kenyans at such a delicate time of fighting coronavirus pandemic.

It is welcome news that the standards agency has written to 28 manufacturers to withdraw the product from the market but that is not sufficient considering the extent of risk to the entire nation’s fight against the pandemic.

Such manufacturers are escaping levies and risking the lives of millions of Kenyans and blunting the war on coronavirus since consumers are using a product whose quality cannot be vouched for.

Washing hands and applying sanitisers has been the rallying call by the State to break the chain of this virus and manufacturers who give Kenyans raw deal should not just be reprimanded but also fined.

Kebs should further extend their surveillance across the country so that all rogue manufacturers are brought to book.

But at the same time, Kebs officers should ensure that its approval processes are straight forward and expedited to ensure that willing and capable manufacturers are able to be cleared on time to supply such essential commodity to Kenyans.