Counties

Kebs to set standards for key services in Coast counties

kebs

The coast regional Kebs manager Martin Nyakiamo (second right) with his team of scientists January 17, 2018. Photo | Laban Walloga | NMG

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) is working with county governments at the coast to develop standards for the different services offered across all sectors.

The move is intended to ensure the devolved units offer standardised services, said Kebs coast regional manager Martin Nyakiamo Saturday.

The standards agency has already trained officers in Kilifi County whose processes are at advanced stages of certification, he said.

The exercise has also started in Taita Taveta while they are talking to Mombasa County to jump start the process.

“Our concern is that Kenyans should be given quality service at whatever level whether they are rich or poor. We want to have a situation where standards are maintained from the county level,” he said.

Audit services

Some of the areas of concern are health, sanitation and education where standards were critical, he said, adding that Kebs, in collaboration with all the departments, will help counties come up with agreed processes of service delivery that must be followed.

“After that we will give a quality certification indicating the county is following right procedures and processes. To ensure standards are maintained we will audit them every six months,” the official said, and challenged the devolved units to sign up.

“The ultimate goal is to reach a stage where public institutions will be procuring products and services from certified suppliers,” he added.

Lack of proper standards has been blamed for poor sanitation, resulting in the outbreak of diseases especially in towns.

Mombasa has in the past been severally hit by a cholera outbreak while health officials are currently battling to control chikungunya fever, a viral disease spread through mosquito bites.

Mounds of gar bage and stagnant water, a common feature in Mombasa, are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

READ: KNCCI blames Mombasa County for spread of diseases

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