Naivasha — The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has attributed its third-place ranking as the most corrupt public entity to the prevalence of impostors in the country.
In March 2024, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) released its corruption index survey, in which KEBS was identified as one of the top three most corrupt public entities.
The bureau's Managing Director Esther Ngari on Monday stated that this perception stems from the increasing number of impostors who exploit vulnerable traders and Kenyans.
"We continuously fight impostors because they have emerged as the biggest threat to our organization's reputation," she said during a media forum with scribes in Naivasha.
According to the EACC survey on solicited bribes, KEBS officials typically accept an average bribe of Sh40,000 from traders.
Although KEBS has established mechanisms to safeguard consumers from impostors, Ngari lamented the lack of awareness among traders and Kenyans, leaving them vulnerable to such deception.
Ngari revealed that the bureau offers resources like a toll-free number, 1545, for traders to verify the authenticity of KEBS officials or to send a short message code regarding the officials' credentials to 20023.
Despite these provisions, Ngari expressed regret that many traders remain unaware of these services, leading to their victimization.
"In light of the lack of information that is why as a bureau we have been deliberate with our campaigns to ensure that Kenyans are well informed. Such campaign is the wajibika na KEBS campaign that aims to empower the consumers," she said.
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Despite the findings by the EACC, Ngari expressed pride in KEBS as a highly esteemed institution, noting its third position in Africa among organizations entrusted with standardization mandates.
The ranking was determined through an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) survey.
Furthermore, she revealed that KEBS is a member of an international body consisting of 172 member states, responsible for overseeing standardization efforts within their respective jurisdictions.
"Our partners get to be surprised when such rankings are done but even so we ask Kenyans to trust us always because we are trusted globally," she said.
At the forum, Ngari launched the Media Empowerment for Standards and Quality (MeSQ) initiative, which seeks to utilize media resources and partnerships to empower consumers and cultivate a society that is well-informed and values quality.
"Empowering the media is tantamount to empowering every individual in our nation. Your stories are the keystones in building a culture where quality is not merely expected but is seamlessly woven into the fabric of our daily existence," she said.
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