Kenya Bureau of Standards imposes tough terms for brewers

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has imposed new conditions for brewers to prevent substandard liquor from the market.

All manufacturers will now be required to have a laboratory which can test both qualitative and quantitative compositions of methanol and ethanol.

They must also be in possession of standards for the products they manufacture and the code of practice.

KEBS has included methanol in the classified list of dangerous chemicals.

In May last year, more than 60 people in central region lost their lives and many others were blinded after drinking home-made liquor laced with methanol.

Research indicates that as little as 10ml of methanol can permanently destroy a drinker's eyesight.

Yesterday, KEBS Managing Director Charles Ongwae announced the expansion of testing laboratories in Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu and Nyeri.

He also said a training centre had been established at KEBS headquarters to train and certify testing personnel across the country.

"We are expanding our testing scope in food safety by acquiring equipment amounting to Sh384 million, of which Sh284 million will be funded by European Union through a Standard Market Access Project and Kebs will fund Sh100 million," said Ongwae.

As a way of enhancing quality surveillance, Ongwae said KEBS had visited 1,099 outlets across the country with 13,403 products inspected.

He revealed that KEBS had seized and destroyed substandard goods valued at Sh37 million in the last two months.

Ongwae said KEBS had procured secured marks in order to deter counterfeiting and allow verification and traceability of the marks to the individual product package.