Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Investments, Trade and Industry Lee Kinyanjui has called for stronger integration of metrology – the science of accurate and reliable measurement – into health, manufacturing and trade sectors to enhance consumer protection and support regional economic growth.
Speaking during the official opening of the East African Metrology (EAMET) Regional Conference at Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort in Mombasa on Tuesday, Kinyanjui emphasised that accurate and harmonised measurements form the foundation for fair trade, reliable healthcare and competitive industries.
The conference, held under the theme “Mainstreaming Metrology in Health, Manufacturing, and Trade to Enhance Consumer Protection”, brings together experts, policymakers and stakeholders from East African Community (EAC) partner states and international partners.
CS Kinyanjui highlighted the critical role of metrology in advancing the EAC Vision 2050, which aims to transform the region into an upper-middle-income area within a secure and politically united East Africa.
He noted that Article 81 of the EAC Treaty and the EAC SQMT Act, 2006, underscore harmonised measurement systems as essential for a single market.
Ongoing reforms to separate the SQMT Act into dedicated bills for standardisation, accreditation, conformity assessment and metrology will strengthen the legal framework, he added.
The CS also pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which creates a market of over 1.4 billion people and a GDP exceeding USD 3.4 trillion.
Annex 6 on Technical Barriers to Trade calls for cooperation in metrology to facilitate intra-African trade through mutual recognition of calibration certificates and alignment with international benchmarks.
“Accurate measurement systems are prerequisites for effective regulation, seamless trade and safeguarding citizens. For EAC products to access the AfCFTA market credibly, our metrology infrastructure must meet global standards,” he said.
He further linked metrology to Agenda 2063, Africa’s development blueprint, noting that aspirations for inclusive growth, sustainable development and world-class infrastructure depend on robust quality systems.
National Standards Council Chairman Dr Chris Wamalwa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to advancing measurement science as a cornerstone of consumer protection and national development.
He stressed the need to strengthen laboratory capacity, accreditation and technical competence to support health systems with reliable measurements.
“Metrology ensures safe medicine, compliant products and fair transactions. Investing in it is investing in human life,” Dr Wamalwa said.
Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Managing Director Esther Ngari illustrated the real-life impact of metrology on ordinary citizens.
She cited examples such as calibrated fuel pumps for boda boda riders, accurate medical devices for mothers and children, and precise tools for farmers and exporters to secure fair prices and market access.
“Metrology must move beyond laboratories into the marketplace. It determines correct medicine doses, fair produce prices and confident exports across the region,” Ms Ngari said.
She highlighted KEBS’s role as custodian of national measurement standards, offering accredited calibration services with published Calibration Measurement Capabilities on the BIPM Key Comparison Database for international credibility.
Ms Ngari called for sustained collaboration among national metrology institutes, regulators, industry and partners to build regional capacity through EAMET, AFRIMETS and bodies such as PTB of Germany.
The four-day conference, running from March 16 to 19, brings together representatives from EAC partner states, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Somalia, alongside international partners.
It focuses on delivering actionable outcomes such as strengthened measurement infrastructure in health laboratories, enhanced calibration and testing capacity for manufacturing sectors, modernisation of legal metrology through digital technologies, professional capacity building in measurement science and the integration of consumer protection into regional frameworks.
By Sitati Reagan
