Following a countrywide market surveillance activity on galvanized roofing sheets, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has observed with great concern the presence of substandard Roofing sheets in the market that do not fully comply with the requirements.

KS EAS 11: 2019. Hot-dip Galvanized plain and corrugated steel sheets – specification.

KS EAS 410: 2021. Hot-dip Aluminium-Zinc coated plain and corrugated steel sheets – specification.

The test reports revealed that the weight of the coating metal used by some brands is way below what is stipulated in the Standard. This not only greatly compromises the quality and performance of the Roofing sheet metal but also, manufacturers of these brands are undercutting their competitors, resulting in a  very uneven playing ground.

It has also come to the attention of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) that some manufacturers are importing and processing roofing sheets whose widths are below what is stipulated in the standard. This is serious malpractice because buyers of such products do not get value for their money.

Additionally, some manufacturers are not labeling at all or not properly labeling some of these roofing products; and this is a major non-conformity because, in the absence of adequate marking, consumers are not able to make informed decisions when purchasing the product.

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Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) therefore wishes to warn manufacturers, importers, and retailers that  KEBS market surveillance officers will seize any substandard roofing sheets found in the market. In addition, Standardization Mark Permits for the non-complying brands shall be suspended until corrective action is undertaken under the supervision of KEBS.

The following are the brands whose Roofing sheets were tested and found not to comply with KS EAS  11: 2019. Hot-dip Galvanized plain and corrugated steel sheets – specification, and KS EAS 410:  2021. Hot-dip Aluminium-Zinc coated plain and corrugated steel sheets – specification.

The KEBS product certification scheme certifies and issues a Standardization Mark (SM) permit or  Diamond Mark of Quality once the product complies with the relevant Kenya Standard. Imports are also issued with a Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) number. The sale of products that do not comply with  Kenya Standards is prohibited by the Laws of Kenya under the Standards Act Chapter 496 with penalties including prosecution.

We encourage the general public to be vigilant and inform KEBS upon encountering any products suspected to be substandard. Wajibika Na KEBS is a program that allows the public to report cases of substandard products. To Wajibika, verify whether the S-Mark permit on your product is valid by sending the code underneath the S-Mark to 20023 (SM#Code) to get product manufacturing details. If the details are different, invalid, or not traceable to the platform, kindly report to KEBS through Toll-Free Number  1545 during official working hours 8.00 AM to 1.00 PM and 2.00 PM to 5.00 PM, Monday to Friday. If you are aware of any kind of foul play by any manufacturer, also report those cases to KEBS through the toll-free number.