The government has announced that it is reviewing the Legal Metrology Act (formerly Weights and Measures Act) to include more measures under the watch of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
Among the measures that will be placed under KEBS if the amendment of the Act sails through include electricity meters, taximeters, airtime meters, measurements used in health, public safety and environmental protection.
“My Ministry is reviewing the Act, now renamed as Legal Metrology Act to accommodate the above. It is still in the process of enactment,” said Industrialization CS Betty Maina.
Ms Maina spoke during the celebration of the World Metrology Day which is celebrated annually on May 20 every year commemorating the signing of the Meter Convention in 1875.
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Kenya, through the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), is a full member State of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) since January 2010. Weights and Measures Department is the country’s representative in International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML).
This year’s celebration, organised under the theme, “Measurements for global trade”, seeks to raise awareness on the significance of Metrology in ensuring fair global trade through ascertaining that products and services meet the quality thresholds expected by end users – the customer.
“The significance of metrology as the science of measurement, is demonstrable in scientific discovery and innovation, industrial manufacturing, international trade, improved quality of life and the protection of the global environment. It validates and verifies applicable standards in every aspect of our lives, provides the necessary assurance and confidence that measurements are accurate, and provides a sound basis for global trade today,” added the CS.
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Locally, KEBS, through its metrology department, is calibrating medical equipment such as non-contact thermometers, refrigerators and freezers for storing drugs and sterilizers, including other devices used in hospital or laboratories.
Additionally, KEBS is working closely with innovators to develop ventilators, as well as manufacturers of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to ensure they meet the accuracy and quality thresholds for effective and efficient application. KEBS has also published Publicly Available Specifications for locally manufactured Critical Care Ventilators, Reusable Cloth Masks and Protective Clothing.
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