Kebs launches quality awards for MSMEs

The Kenya Bureau of Standards has initiated Kenya Quality Award (KQA),  to promote and entrench a quality culture amongst Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Kenya.

The awards are designed to recognize MSMEs striving to produce quality product.

The KQA programme will additionally assist MSMEs to initiate, develop and implement quality management systems to a status of certification.

“We recognize the opportunity to build capacities for MSMEs to develop formal quality models that will help them mature to effective sustainable quality management systems,” said Kebs acting  managing director, Bernard Njiraini during the launch.

Some of the MSMEs recognised as KQA pioneer participants were Lake Victoria Mineral Water Ltd., Kabianga Tea Factory Limited and Lovely Home Product.

According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) 2016 National MSME survey data, MSMEs are estimated to contribute 28.5 percent of the total economy in Kenya.

Trade Cabinet Secretary, Peter Munya said the government is committed in equipping MSMEs with the critical knowledge and skills in relation to the quality of their products and the effectiveness of their processes to ensure that they can access the wider market.

According to KNBS , there are about 1.56 million licensed MSMEs and 5.85 million unlicensed businesses in Kenya.

The launch of the Kenya Quality Award comes after the Ministry for Industry, Trade and Cooperatives launched the Industrialization Roadmap during the Second Intra-Commonwealth SME Trade Summit that was held in May this year.