In a significant move to enhance industry efficiencies, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), with funding from USAID-ERRA, developed new standards covering various sectors, including leather and textile, grain silos, and food safety. These standards aim to fill existing gaps in standardization, focusing on safety, quality, and innovation while guaranteeing product safety for consumers. This development was preceded by a series of meetings involving industry stakeholders and representatives from the Kenyan and EAC standards bodies to harmonize the textile garment standards within the EAC framework, including dresses, skirts, shirts, trousers, jackets, and sweaters. The announcement came during World Standards Day (WSD) 2023, which not only marked their official unveiling but also highlighted the importance of standardization in supporting export garments to meet the necessary quality standards in target markets.

USAID-ERRA’s support is not limited to Kenya but extends to the entire East and Horn of Africa, where the project is i) providing laboratory standardization equipment to enhance processes, ii) assisting national institutions to address standards-related constraints, and iii) offering capacity building to national bureaus of standards, empowering them to execute their duties effectively. Additionally, USAID-ERRA aids the harmonization of standards across regions and within regional economic bodies to facilitate the smooth cross-border movement of goods, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of local products, ensuring market access, and protecting consumer health.