Collaboration key to easing cross-border trade, accreditation body, Kenas says

By Steve UMIDHA

The Kenya National Accreditation Service (KENAS) has called for a coordinated collaboration among multiple agencies operating independently, saying such a move will go a long way in easing cross–border trade for businesses.

It was the resonant message by the accreditation body’s Chief Executive (CEO), Walter Ongeti, during the ongoing International Accreditation Conference (IAC 2025), being held in the country for the first time, by the state agency.

The three–day forum, which ends tomorrow, has brought together various regulators across different sectors, conformity assessment bodies, government agencies, researchers, and international quality organizations to explore how accreditation enhances public safety, health standards, and trade facilitation.

“We have seen how disjointed coordination among multiple agencies operating autonomously often leads to increased operational costs and delays, and so the need to collaborate has been a significant rallying call at the conference, and we will need to rally behind those calls,” said Dr. Ongeti.

By working together, Ongeti urged, customs administrations and other border agencies, such as health and security, can harmonize their systems, allowing for faster and cheaper movement of goods, which often leads to the establishment of ‘One-Stop Border Posts’ (OSBPs), where officials from both sides, for instance, work in the same location to clear goods.

The conference is touted as a key medium that seeks to reinforce Kenya’s position as a regional leader in quality assurance and contribute to stronger, safer, and more competitive markets within Africa and beyond.

“In Kenya, conformity assessment results are just results if there is no competence behind them. This is our time to show what accreditation can do, to ensure that our products access international markets and that we are global players,” said the International Accreditation Conference 2025 Organizing Committee Chair, Felista Nyakoe.

The conference has attracted participants from across the world, including the United States, Germany, Bahrain, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Botswana.