The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) is seeking to leverage technology in tackling the rampant smuggling and sale of substandard products into the country.
It now wants to capitalise on the huge penetration of smart phone use in Kenya to ensure its mandate. According to figures from Communication Authority of Kenya (CA), there are over 30 million mobile phone users in the country.
It is this group that Kebs is keen to involve in the war against substandard products in the country.
Kebs Managing Director, Charles Ongwae said that by scanning a QR code that will feature in a new standardisation mark, consumers will be able to determine if the product they are purchasing matches the set standards.
By scanning with their phones, consumers can retrieve information on the product they are purchasing.
Additionally, the information contained in the bar-code will enable the body to trace the origin of the products in the market.
With the new mark set to be introduced to select local products in July, Kebs hopes to curb the faking of its quality marks by unscrupulous businessmen who then go on to sell products that are not compliant with the set standards.
Kebs has also introduced a short code that consumers can send a text message with the brand name of the product to determine if it is valid.
