The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has intercepted a major consignment of 24,000 substandard power extension sockets originating from China and valued at Ksh.2.5 million, reinforcing its firm point against dangerous imports threatening public safety.
The 16-metric tonne shipment, discovered at the Mitchell Cotts Freight Station in Mombasa, lacked critical safety components and violated Kenya Standard KS EAS 495-2:2008, which mandates the inclusion of shutters in socket outlets to protect users especially children from electrocution.
KEBS Managing Director Bernard Njiraini emphasized the grave risks posed by such non-compliant products, warning consumers against purchasing or using them. “These sockets are a silent danger in homes and offices. We will not compromise on consumer safety,” he said.
KEBS Seizes 24,000 Dangerous Sockets.
The latest seizure is part of KEBS’s broader mandate of market surveillance and product compliance enforcement, aimed at protecting lives and property.
The agency has taken similar steps in the past, including suspending operations of Rongtai Steel Company Ltd, a Chinese firm, over substandard ribbed steel bars that posed a risk to structural integrity in construction. All affected products were recalled, and the public was advised against using them.
The issue of substandard imports from China has raised persistent concerns in Kenya and across Africa. In a separate case, the African Development Bank Group blacklisted Sinotec, a China-based firm, for fraudulent practices involving a $150 million Kenyan electricity project.
The seized extension sockets have been handed over to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for either re-exportation or destruction at the importer’s cost. KEBS has reiterated its warning to importers: only products that meet Kenyan safety standards will be allowed into the market.
Consumers are urged to stay vigilant and report suspicious products through KEBS’s “Wajibika Na KEBS” initiative.
