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Kenya

General Information

• WHO Africa - Country Profile: http://www.afro.who.int/des/fos/country_profiles/kenya.pdf
• This article gives information about food control system in Kenya. This has pointed out that the mechanism of collecting and dissemination of information is not is not available and the type of monitoring system is scattered. This paper also pointed out the main food safety and quality problems encountered with the country’s imports. Although the mechanisms of monitoring food imports is in place, it is hindered by many factors, among which include inadequate capacity to inspect all imports. Food laws and implementing authorities in Kenya have been pointed out, with their constraints being outdated. However, the national standards are similar to the codex standards.

See also International Portal on Food Safety, Animal & Plant Health

Key Legal Documents

Links to Organisations involved in Food Law

Information (listed by date)

2005

• Document: Report of the Sixteenth Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa.
• Source: Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards ProgrammeCodex Alimentarius Commission, Twenty-eighth Session - Rome , Italy , 4 – 9 July 2005.
• Extract: The agencies which carry out food safety and control activities are spread within four major ministries: Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Livestock and Fisheries Development, and Trade and Industry, which houses the Kenya Bureau of Standards. The functions of the agencies include sensitization and implementation of Codes of Hygiene and Agricultural Practices by stakeholders throughout the food chain. The enforcement functions include inspection and monitoring of food and premises for catering and manufacturing, abattoirs, fish landing sites, imports and exports of foods and planting material among others. Codex standards are used as reference documents in the development of food standards. The National Codex Committee (Contact Point - Kenya Bureau of Standards) links all the regulatory agencies and food chain stakeholders, research institutes and universities. However, the functions are not properly coordinated and need strengthening.
• Link: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/632/al28_28e.pdf

• Document: Kenya Food Safety Situation.
• Source: FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for Africa, Harare , Zimbabwe , 3-6 October 2005
• Extract: The national food safety system in Kenya is managed by various agencies under different ministries and laws. They have an ultimate aim of promoting public health, and protecting the consumer against health hazards, and enhancing economic development. Each agency operates independently to fulfill the function for which it was established and complements the basic laws for food safety namely the Food Drugs and Substances Act Cap 254 and the Public Health Act Cap 242, whose common goal is to safeguard the health of the people. The main agencies include, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate, Department of Public Health (Ministry of Health), Pesticide Control Produce Board, Department of Veterinary Services (Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development), Horticultural Crops Development Authority, and Kenya Bureau of Standards. Safety and quality control activities are distributed along the food supply chain resulting in a food chain approach. Some of the regulatory agencies without laboratories have collaboration with other institutions to facilitate provision of support services. However, all the activities at each level require integration into a coordinated system.
• Link: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/010/af108e.pdf

• Document: National Food Safety Situation in Kenya.
• Source: FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for Africa, Harare , Zimbabwe , 3-6 October 2005
• Abstract: This paper provides an overview of the National food control system in Kenya. It explain the human resource capacity, standards and technical regulations and their implementation , Food-borne disease surveillance, Coordination of food safety management activities, Laboratory support services for food hazards, Food inspections and enforcement mechanism, Public/private partnership for on-going training, Communication among stakeholders, Use of the Food Chain Approach in the food supply chain, and the challenges faced in Kenya.
• Link: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/010/af129e.pdf

• Document: Prioritization and Coordination of Capacity Building Activities in Kenya.
• Source: FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for Africa, Harare , Zimbabwe , 3-6 October 2005.
• Abstract: This paper pointed out the strengths, weaknesses, long-term sustainability of results, prioritization for limited timeframesnetworking with other partnerships to increase effectiveness of the National food control system.
• Link: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/010/af130e.pdf

• Document: Informal Food Distribution Sector.
• Source: FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for Africa, Harare , Zimbabwe , 3-6 October 2005.
• Abstract: This paper point out the importance, challenges and recommendations on the street vended food sector in Kenya.
• Link: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/010/af131e.pdf

• Document: Assuring Food Safety and Quality Assurance in SMEs.
• Source: FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for Africa, Harare , Zimbabwe , 3-6 October 2005.
• Abstract: This paper point out the economic and socio economic importance and the barriers to the application of appropriate food safety assurance schemes in Kenya and the ways to mitigate.
• Link: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/010/af132e.pdf

• Document: International, Regional Subregional and National Cooperation in Food Safety.
• Source: FAO/WHO Regional Conference on Food Safety for Africa, Harare , Zimbabwe , 3-6 October 2005.
• Extract: This paper point out the International, Regional Subregional and National Cooperation in Food Safety in Kenya. Kenya is represented by the Ministry of Health in the established network on food safety information sharing at the WHO. The paper also explain the challenges in meeting operational requirements and sustainability; Public/private partnerships for capacity building; need for collaboration, coordination and communication between government, NGOs, consumers, local, national, regional, partners; need for cooperation between countries for border patrol and prevention of dumping of substandard foodstuffs; provision of coordinated and effective regional input to codex systems, importance of sub regional groupings and their past experience in implementing improvements to food safety systems, development of a system for identification and recording strengths and weakness within the country.
• Link: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/010/af133e.pdf

200-

• Document: Outline of Services Offered by Kenya Bureau of Standards.
• Source:
• Extract: The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is a Statutory Organization of Government, established by an act of parliament Chapter 496, in 1974. KEBS is the National Standards Body (NSB) and as such is mandated by the Act to perform a number of activities. The Delegation of Kenya indicated that a similar approach to that of Uganda was followed on Pre-packaged food but it pointed out that the distribution of food regulations over five legislative acts impeded their implementation. Therefore, FAO assistance to strengthen the national Codex Contact Point and food control system in Kenya was requested. The Delegation of Kenya informed the Committee that they harmonised food standards based on Codex adopted texts together with Tanzania and Uganda as East African Standards.
• Link: http://www.epzakenya.com/UserFiles/File/Presentation%20by%20KEBS%20-%20Mr%20Masila.pdf

2003

• Document: Report of the Fifteenth Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa.
• Source: Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, Codex Alimentarius Commission, Twenty-Sixth Session, 30 June – 5 July 2003.
• Extract: The National Codex Committee was reconstituted recently and incorporated all institutions as per Codex guidelines. The National Codex Contact Point is the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). Currently, the Food safety regulatory aspects are enforced by various Government Agencies. However, the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) concept is being implemented by some industries in the fish and meat industries through the guidance given by the Kenya Bureau of Standards. Further technical assistance and exposure of stakeholders to the application of HACCP is desirable in the following specific industries: Fish; Coffee; Tea; Horticultural fresh produce. The Delegation informed the Committee that consumer organisations were included in the technical Committee activities for specific groups of food products and that these consumer organisations were involved in the entire process of establishing standards. Their views were taken into account alongside with the views of other stakeholders.
• Link: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/407/Al03_28e.pdf

2001

• Document: Report of the Fourteenth Session of the Codex Coordinating Committee for Africa.
• Source: Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, Codex Alimentarius Commission, Twenty-Fourth Session, Geneva, 2 - 7 July 2001.
• Extract: The Delegation of Kenya indicated that a similar approach to that of Uganda was followed on Pre-packaged food but it pointed out that the distribution of food regulations over five legislative acts impeded their implementation. Therefore, FAO assistance to strengthen the national Codex Contact Point and food control system in Kenya was requested. The Delegation of Kenya informed the Committee that they harmonised food standards based on Codex adopted texts together with Tanzania and Uganda as East African Standards . The Codex Contact Point and the Secretariat of the National Codex Committee was in the Kenya Bureau of Standards. The National Codex Committee consists of government ministries, industries, consumers, Kenya Bureau of Standards, and other stakeholders. The Delegation reported that Kenya had identified some specific problems faced by some sectors, especially in particular areas where the country would have some competitive economic advantage. The National Codex Committee would like to play a leading role in streamlining and sustaining quality control in the fish, horticulture and coffee industries. The Delegation requested assistance to strengthen the roles of the National Codex Committee and Codex Contact Point in food quality control. Consumer organisations participate in the development of national food standards. However, due to their limited resources, the Consumer Organisations have not effectively been able to participate in the development of international standards, such as Codex standards. Strengthening of the Consumer Organisations would improve their involvement in Codex work.
• Link: http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/005/X9372E/x9372e08.htm#TopOfPage

Information last updated - 14 July 2006