As a statutory body of the Kenyan government, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is responsible for formulating and implementing standards for imported and domestic products for the Kenyan market. In order to protect the health, safety and environment of Kenyan consumers, KEBS implemented the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity to Standards (PVoC) program on September 29, 2005. The program conducts conformity assessment and verification for specific goods in each exporting country to ensure that imported products comply with Kenya’s technical regulations and mandatory standards or recognized equivalent standards.
The PVoC Certificate, also known as CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY (COC), is a mandatory document for customs clearance in Kenya. According to the Kenyan government decree, all goods in the PVoC catalogue must have a COC certificate issued by a KEBS authorized body before shipment. Upon arrival at the port, importers must present the certificate to Kenyan Customs or the goods will be refused entry. As an exception, KEBS may accept the importer’s application and conduct inspections at the port of arrival in Kenya, but the importer will be responsible for a fine of 15% of the CIF value of the goods, a 15% deposit, and inspection and testing fees.
The PVoC program covers 14 major categories of goods, including electronic and electrical products, toys, automobiles, food, chemicals, textiles and leather, furniture, building materials, and secondhand goods. For products in the PVoC catalog, KEBS offers three different inspection methods to obtain COC certificates. The choice of method depends on the frequency of exporters’ shipments to Kenya and their ability to maintain the quality level at the time of initial certification application.
The first method is to inspect and test each batch of goods (Batch Customs Clearance Certificate). Under this method, the COC certificate is valid for 90 days and only applies to the batch of goods. It is applicable to goods that require strict control, such as food, medicine and chemicals.
The second method: first registration and then customs clearance. This method is used when the same product is exported to Kenya several times. Exporters must first apply to the PVOC Registration, Licensing/Certification Center and submit a self-declaration that the product complies with Kenyan standards/technical specifications or international standards, as well as technical supporting documents such as product test reports issued by laboratories accredited to ISO/IEC standards. Upon successful verification, the PVOC Center will issue a product registration certificate, which is valid for one year. During the validity period, exporters only need to submit a copy of the product registration certificate, an application for certification, and an invoice for the goods at the time of shipment. The PVOC office will inspect the goods, but will only take samples of individual batches for testing.
The third method is the formal approval certificate model. Under this method, exporters must accept factory inspections, and the first shipment will be strictly inspected, and then the shipment will be inspected at irregular intervals. If the product continues to meet the requirements, the manufacturer will receive a license for that type of product. If the product is exported in the future, the manufacturer only needs to submit a certification application, a final invoice and a copy of the license, and the PVOC office can issue the certificate without each inspection and product testing.
The PVoC certification fee is determined based on factors such as the method of application and the value of the goods. Typically, fees include inspection/testing fees, registration and licensing fees, and other fees such as laboratory testing fees, bulk sampling fees, and secondary inspection fees. Inspection/testing fees are charged as a percentage of the FOB value of the goods, and the specific percentage and minimum and maximum fee limits vary according to the method.
It should be noted that when applying for PVoC certification, exporters must complete the application form and its annex truthfully, correctly and completely, including the relevant HS code, ICS code and other information. It is the basic responsibility of the applicant to fill in the product description and HS code correctly. Failure to correctly fill in the product description and/or HS code will result in discrepancies during on-site inspection/testing, and the COC certificate cannot be issued. The applicant will still have to bear the associated costs and will have a bad credit record. Once the goods are shipped to Kenya, they will also be required to make corrections and pay fines by the Kenyan administration.
In general, the Kenya PVOC Certificate is an important measure to ensure the quality of imported products and to protect the rights and interests of Kenyan consumers. For companies wishing to export products to Kenya, it is important to understand and comply with the requirements and procedures of the PVoC program.
