Kenya: Standards Agency to Back Consumers
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The Nation (Nairobi)
5 September 2008
Posted to the web 6 September 2008
Kaburu Mugambi
Nairobi
Kenya Bureau of Standards has pledged to support consumers' rights protection organisations by providing free training.
Kebs managing director Kioko Mang'eli on Friday said specialised groups representing consumers' interests were key to national growth.
The only outstanding consumer rights groups in the country are Consumer Information Network (Kenya) and Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (Kara).
"We will actively engage the consumer organisations by training them and bringing in consumer organisations from other parts of the world for them to learn how consumer movements work elsewhere in the world," Dr Mang'eli said.
He was speaking at the parastatal's Nairobi offices during the quality agency's consumer communication day.
Consumer Information Network (Kenya) chief executive Samuel Ochieng said Kenya has weak enforcement and rampant violations of regulations regarding consumer rights. The country also has weak consumer protection instruments.
Dr Mang'eli said Government had intensified quality surveillance but consumers were still disadvantaged because they lack strong and independent watchdogs.
"Compared with producers and retailers, consumers are at a big disadvantage," he said.
Due to high costs, individual consumers choose to compromise or give up protecting their rights and interests.
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Mr Mangeli reiterated that Kenya would only be a prosperous country through informed consumerism and called for empowerment of consumers to demand quality services.
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