KEBS Standardization Mark: what it means and how to verify it

What KEBS is

KEBS is the Kenya Bureau of Standards. Section 3 of the Standards Act, Chapter 496 of the Laws of Kenya, set it up. Section 4 of the Act lists its functions. In plain words, KEBS:

• Promotes standards in industry and trade
• Writes and updates Kenya Standards, specifications and codes of practice
• Tests products, and the materials and methods used to make them
• Tests and calibrates measuring instruments, and issues certificates for them
• Controls who may use the Standardization Mark and other KEBS marks
• Helps the Government and other public bodies prepare standards

What the Standardization Mark means

Section 10 of the Standards Act sets out how the Standardization Mark works. A manufacturer applies to KEBS. If KEBS is satisfied that the manufacturer can make the product to the relevant Kenya Standard, it issues a permit to use the mark. The permit can carry conditions, and KEBS can suspend or cancel it.

The Act also says that only a permit holder may put the mark on a product, and only when the product meets the standard. Printing the mark on a label, a box or any covering counts as applying it. Breaking these rules is an offence.

The Standardization Mark, often called the S-Mark, appears on goods made in Kenya. The permit number KEBS issued for the product is printed on the mark.

Other KEBS marks you may see

KEBS uses four marks on goods. Kenyans.co.ke and KBC describe them like this:

• Standardization Mark: on goods made in Kenya that meet a Kenya Standard.
• Diamond Mark of Quality: a voluntary mark for manufacturers who show high excellence. A product with the Diamond Mark also qualifies for the Standardization Mark.
• Import Standardization Mark (ISM): on imported goods after inspection. KEBS introduced it in 2015 against counterfeit KEBS marks.
• Fortification Mark: on fortified maize flour, wheat flour, iodised salt and vegetable cooking oil. Kenya made fortification of certain foods mandatory in 2012.

How to verify a Standardization Mark by SMS

KEBS runs an SMS service on 20023. The Star and KBC reported the steps in 2025:

1. Find the S-Mark on the label and the permit number printed with it.
2. Open a new text message and type SM# followed by the permit number.
3. Send it to 20023.
4. Read the reply. The Standard reported in June 2026 that the reply tells you who the manufacturer is and whether the S-Mark is valid.
5. Compare the manufacturer named in the reply with the manufacturer named on the label.

For any question about a mark, call KEBS on its toll-free line, 1545. The 20023 number also lets you verify that a person who says they are a KEBS officer works for KEBS.

A valid permit number tells you KEBS approved a product. It does not tell you that the item in your hand came from that manufacturer. A counterfeiter can copy the mark and the number.

What a fake or missing mark looks like

• A product you expect to carry a KEBS mark has none, such as an imported product with no ISM.
• The S-Mark has no permit number.
• The SMS reply says the mark is not valid.
• The reply names a different manufacturer from the one on the label.
• The label has spelling mistakes, a blurred logo or a seal that looks wrong.

When the SMS reply does not match the product, KEBS asks you to report it on 1545, according to Business Today. KEBS answers the line Monday to Friday during working hours.

KEBS and the Anti-Counterfeit Authority

KEBS deals with products that fail a Kenya Standard. Counterfeit goods are a separate problem. The Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) describes counterfeiting as making or selling goods under someone else's name without their permission.

ACA is a state corporation set up under the Anti-Counterfeit Act, No. 13 of 2008. The Act came into force on 1 July 2009, and the Authority became fully operational in June 2010. Under the Act, ACA informs the public about counterfeiting, fights trade in counterfeit goods and works with other agencies in Kenya and abroad.

ACA's Consumer-Level Survey Report 2025 estimated that Kenya loses about Sh800 billion a year to counterfeit goods, The Star reported. Street vendors accounted for 60 per cent of counterfeit purchases and online sales for 31.27 per cent. In October 2026, ACA seized suspected counterfeit Sensodyne toothpaste, toothbrushes and Nivea products on River Road in Nairobi.

ACA's advice for spotting a counterfeit comes down to four things:

• Price: a famous brand sold far below its usual price.
• Place: a seller you do not know, a new trader or an unfamiliar website.
• Packaging and labelling: spelling mistakes, odd designs, poor printing.
• Your senses: a smell, feel, look or taste that differs from the product you know.

How to report counterfeit goods in Kenya

Keep the product and your receipt. Then contact ACA:

• Toll-free: 0800211237
• Hotline: 020 2280111 or 0775 606660
• Phone: +254 20 2280000 or +254 717 430 640
• Email: [email protected], or [email protected] for information about people dealing in fakes
• Online: the Report Counterfeits form on aca.go.ke
• In person: National Water Plaza, 3rd Floor, Dunga Road, Industrial Area, Nairobi, or the ACA offices in Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret

Report a product that fails a standard, or a false KEBS mark, to KEBS on 1545. For medicines, report to the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, as described in the PPB guide.

Some companies protect their products with anti-counterfeiting methods. You can verify a product protected with Batach with your phone at batach.io/scan. For more on the word itself, read what counterfeit means.