Agencies plan national stamp to promote exports

Kenyan exports will soon start bearing a national mark of identity to make them stand out in an increasingly competitive international market.

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), the quality watchdog, and Brand Kenya are leading efforts to put a premium on packaging to ensure local products reach consumers in their original form and quality.

The initiative targets emotional connection with the market and repeat purchases.

Kenyan goods are currently free to leave the country in different formats decided at firm levels, but some foreign bulk buyers repackage them, concealing the Kenyan connection.

“The National Mark of Identity is not a quality benchmark but will only be placed on products that bear at least an S-Mark from Kebs,” said Mrs Grace Onyango, an official at the watchdog body.

End of year

Brand Kenya CEO Mary Kimonye had last May unveiled a sketch of the national mark of identity for review by the private sector and promised to apply it once an agreement with Kebs is signed. The proposed national mark bears the red, green and black colours of the national flag, has the logo “Kenya”, a shield motif and the slogan: “A touch of Kenya”.

Private sector players have called for input from all sectors of the economy before the agencies arrive at the national mark of identity, possibly by the end of the year.

Trade experts see the move to distinguish the country’s products in the international market as one way of promoting Kenyan exports.

The General Manager in charge of Market Development at the Export Promotion Council, Maurice Abuom, said a uniform mark of identity on all Kenyan exports will make his work easier. The move, he said, would help other Kenyan products tap goodwill that top exports such as coffee, tea, horticulture products, cooking fats and dairy produce have built in their niche markets over the years.

“A trend is developing in most export markets to source all products from single markets,” said Mr Abuom. He said the initiative would also ensure that Kenya does not lose identity of her products at a time that it is integrating her economy with her four East African neighbours as well as in the 19-member Common Market for Eastern and Southern to create a single market.

Economic blocs

Last year, Kenya exported a total of Sh409 billion worth of goods to different parts of the world with one quarter (109 billion) ending up in Europe, Sh24.4 billion in the US, Sh188.9 billion in Africa and Sh81.6 billion in Asia.

Countries such as South Africa and Italy have used national marks of identity to set them apart in both the regional economic blocs and international markets.

But some local industry players have called for caution saying wider consultation is necessary to ensure the national mark is acceptable both the service and manufacturing sector.