Kenya is taking a leading role in shaping global trade standards as delegates attend the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) General Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda.
The high-level meeting has brought together representatives from national standards bodies across the world to deliberate on key issues around international standards and their role in advancing trade, innovation, and sustainable development.
It is under the theme “United for Impact.”
Kenya’s delegation includes Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) managing director Esther Ngari, former ISO President Eddy Njoroge, and ISO Committee on Conformity Assessment (CASCO) chairperson Caroline Outa.
Their participation underscores Kenya’s growing voice in shaping the global standards agenda and its commitment to strengthening cooperation with international partners.
“This is a very important forum because Kenya is a member of the International Standardisation Organisation, which brings together all the national standards bodies to discuss and deliberate on issues of international standards,” said Ngari.
“International standards are the passport for trade. For any country to trade globally, we must adopt and align with these standards so that our traders can access diverse markets.”
While in Kigali, the Kenyan delegation has held several bilateral meetings with trade partners and standards bodies from Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ethiopia, the United States, and China.
The discussions focused on expanding market access, enhancing conformity assessment, and supporting Kenyan traders to meet global product standards.
The meeting comes as Kenya prepares to join the world in marking World Standards Day, a global event dedicated to recognising experts and institutions that develop and implement standards.
It will be held on October 14.
“This day is important because standards are the language of trust and the foundation of trade,” Ngari said.
“They enable countries to access markets, ensure quality, and promote consumer confidence. We invite all Kenyans to join us in celebrating the day through our social media platforms.”
Meanwhile, Kebs is conducting public participation on the new Standards Bill 2025, aimed at modernizing Kenya’s standards framework to address emerging market and trade realities.
The proposed law seeks to strengthen enforcement, promote innovation, and ensure alignment with global best practices.
During the ongoing summit, ISO and the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) signed the historic Kigali Agreement, establishing a framework to strengthen technical cooperation and accelerate the adoption and impact of international standards across Africa.
The agreement comes at a pivotal moment for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the largest free trade area in the world covering 54 African Union member states, and a flagship initiative of the African Union's Agenda 2063.
