Kenyan businesses have been urged to make quality a continuous part of their operations as the country seeks to strengthen its competitiveness in regional and global markets.
Speaking during the Kenya Quality Awards, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) managing director Esther Ngari said the recognition of organisations for their quality achievements should not mark the end of their journey, but rather provide a foundation for further improvement.
“Recognition should not serve as the conclusion of your quality journey but as a platform from which to set even higher standards,” Ngari said.
She said quality extends beyond individual organisations, noting that the standards maintained by businesses have a direct bearing on the strength and credibility of the wider economy.
“Ultimately, the quality of our organisations contributes to the quality of our economy and the confidence with which Kenya engages the region and the world,” she said.
Ngari urged organisations to integrate quality into their daily operations rather than treating it as a requirement only when undergoing assessment.
“Let us therefore continue to make quality part of how we read, how we work, and how we serve; not simply something that we pursue when we are being assessed,” she said.
Deputy head of public service Amos Njoroge Gathecha said Kenya’s quality infrastructure remains important in supporting manufacturing, trade and economic integration.
Gathecha said KEBS must continue working with industry to ensure that standards and conformity assessment services respond to the needs of businesses while safeguarding consumers.
“We expect the bureau to continue making standards and conformity assessment services accessible, responsive and relevant to the needs of a changing economy,” Gathecha said.
He added that compliance should also help Kenyan businesses compete fairly in domestic and international markets.
“We must therefore build enterprises that are not only capable of producing more, but capable of producing better and of consistently meeting the requirements of the markets they seek to serve,” he said.
Gathecha pointed to the East African Community as an important market for Kenyan enterprises, while noting that businesses must prepare for increased competition as regional markets become more integrated.
He also highlighted opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area, saying Kenyan firms seeking access to wider African and global markets must pay greater attention to quality, safety, consistency and reliability.
The Kenya Quality Awards recognise organisations that demonstrate excellence in quality management and compliance, with the event also providing a platform for industry players to assess their practices against standards required in increasingly competitive markets.
