Company behind importation of substandard cables seized by KEBS named 

A company behind the importation of 24,000 substandard power extension cables worth Sh2.5 million from China has been named.

This came as Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and Kenya Revenue Authority announced they are tightening the noose on tax evaders and importers of fake goods.

Faces behind this companies can now be revealed after it emerged that Hilalium and Sons are not new to controversy around tax evasion, document fraud and importation of substandard goods in the country.

Hilalium and Sons Limited is owned by Lihui Wang a Chinese national and John Kiumi Wambugu.

The consignment was handed to the Kenya Revenue Authority for reshipment to the country of origin or destruction at the owner’s cost as per the Standard Act.

The 40-foot container, imported by a Chinese company arrived in the country a week ago and was offloaded at a cargo clearing agency.

According to officials, it contained 30 cartons of Ailyons-brand extension sockets, weighing 15,390 kilograms.

In March of 2023 KRA investigated the company behind the importation and established their involvement in tax evasion activities thus denying the Kenyan government millions tax revenue.

The container imported by was accompanied by a Certificate of Conformity (CoC), but on closer look at the document, KEBS established that the documentation doesn’t tally with the actual product that accompanied the cargo, said KEBS Managing Director Esther Ngari in Mombasa.

A CoC confirms that the imported product conforms to the quality standard of the importing country.

She confirmed that the model of the extension cables delivered is different from the model captured in the CoC.

After evaluation, KEBS found that the product doesn’t meet the Kenyan quality standards.

“Our role as KEBs is to protect the consumer, and this product cannot be allowed into our Kenyan market because it fails to meet the Kenyan standards, said the KEBS MD, adding that the product lacks earthing to protect the users, and the shutters are open, thus they can easily cause accidents,’ said Ngari.

Importers of sub-standard goods have henceforth been put on notice, as KEBS has intensified surveillance and inspection to safeguard consumers against sub-standard products.

“We will not allow anything that doesn’t meet the Kenyan standards, whether you have it inspected out of the country or you bring it for destination inspection,” reiterated the MD.

“We are very keen. We are targeting especially these electrical products getting into the country to make sure none of them are allowed into the market.”