KEBS on the spot over plans to engage firm to validate vehicle importation papers

Kenya Bureau of Standards has engaged the Quality Inspection Services Inc. Japan (QISJ) to carry out validation of import documents. [File, Standard]

The decision by Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) to issue a notice informing the public that it had engaged the Quality Inspection Services Inc. Japan (QISJ) to carry out validation of import documents to determine age of used vehicles before importation has raised eyebrows.

The notice dated July 8, 2025 has caught the attention of Kenyans, considering that the levy imposed for the contracted services will increase the cost of imported motor vehicles.

The National Assembly Trade Committee has summoned the State Department of Industry Principal Secretary Juma Mukhwana, Kebs Managing Director Esther Ngaari and Kenya Accreditation Services CEO Walter Ongeti to deliberate on the matter on Thursday.

"The attention of National Assembly Trade Committee has been drawn to Kenya Bureau of Standards notice with the matter having raised concerns among members of the public, under its mandate it has resolved to invite you to the meeting to apprise the Committee on various issues," read the summons.

The National Assembly Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Committee would like to know how Kebs engaged or procured the services of Quality Inspection Services Inc. Japan (QISJ) to provide the document validation and verification services for imported used motor vehicles.

The committee will seek to know whether the engagement was done through a competitive procurement process in accordance with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, the criteria that was used to have QISJ selected, and whether there were other local or international firms considered.

The parliamentary committee will be seeking to know whether QISJ has been formally accredited by the Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS) or any other recognised accreditation body under the ISO/IEC 17029:2019 standard on conformity assessment, general principles and requirements for validation bodies.

"We will need clarification on the role that will be played by Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS), the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), or any other agency in relation to vehicle document verification," read the summons.

The parliamentary committee wants to establish if there is potential duplication of duties where other agencies undertake document verification and how Kebs ensured that this new process does not duplicate existing mandates, particularly regarding verification of vehicle registration documents.

The committee would like to know whether there is a clear explanation of the legal and regulatory basis for issuing the notice, requiring importers to submit to document validation and further provide the justification for the validation fee of Sh12,000 to be paid by an importer.

The National Assembly Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Committee wants to establish whether there is any appellate or review mechanism where a dispute arises such as adverse finding made by Quality Inspection Services Inc. Japan that is inconsistent with the information availed to an importer at purchase.

"Noting that this is a new layer of bureaucracy, what is the impact of this verification on trade facilitation, ease of doing business particularly for small and medium-scale vehicle importers as well as port efficiency and customs clearance timelines," states the summons.

According to the Economic Survey 2024, a total of 119,205 motor vehicles were registered in Kenya out of which 78,127 were used motor vehicles, which represents 66% of all motor vehicles registered.

The new import documents validation fee of Sh12,000 that Kebs has introduced is a significant exploitation of the public, since the current inspection fee in the country of origin is approximately Sh20,000 (or USD 155) in Japan.

The contracted validation agent, using the 2023 import volume of 78,127 motor vehicles, will generate approximately nearly Sh1 billion with the magnitude of economic exploitation of the Kenyan people and an additional burden to an already tightened household purse.