Bamburi Cement PLC Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Ndugwa on June 16, 2026, paid a courtesy visit to the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) head office in Nairobi for an introductory meeting with KEBS Managing Director Esther Ngari. In a media statement, the company said the meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the two organisations on quality assurance and construction material standards.

According to the statement, the engagement centred on familiarisation following Ndugwa’s appointment and “strengthening the long-standing relationship” between Bamburi Cement and the national standards body. The company said both leaders expressed a commitment to safeguarding consumer trust, improving product integrity and supporting sustainable building practices as the built environment sector evolves.

The visit comes as the construction sector remains sensitive to the availability and use of certified materials, with quality compliance directly affecting public safety, the durability of infrastructure projects and the competitiveness of local manufacturers. Industry players rely on KEBS for standards setting, audits and market surveillance, while manufacturers depend on consistent enforcement to curb unfair competition from substandard products.

A key item discussed, Bamburi said, was the shared objective of ensuring high-quality construction materials and addressing “the challenges of substandard products in the regional retail market.”

During the visit, Ndugwa said Bamburi’s approach to standards is driven by compliance and internal controls. “Maintaining strict conformity to national quality standards is not just a regulatory obligation for Bamburi Cement; it is the cornerstone of our corporate DNA,” Geoffrey Ndugwa, Chief Executive Officer of Bamburi Cement PLC, said in the statement. He added: “We deeply appreciate KEBS’ unrelenting commitment to market surveillance, robust auditing, and manufacturing facility assessments.”

Ndugwa also linked enforcement and collaboration to public safety and infrastructure durability, saying: “Positive collaborations like this ensure that the Kenyan public is protected against structural hazards while securing the longevity of our country's critical infrastructure projects.”

For KEBS, Ngari said direct engagement with manufacturers supports compliance and industrial competitiveness. “Continuous, direct engagement with our primary industry players is key to helping local enterprises meet regulatory criteria seamlessly while scaling up industrial competitiveness,” Esther Ngari, Managing Director of KEBS, said.

She added that KEBS would continue supporting industry through standards and technical capacity. “KEBS remains fully dedicated to providing the necessary quality infrastructure, technical expertise, and standardized frameworks that foster industrial growth, environmental sustainability, and consumer protection across the board,” Ngari said.

Market watchers view such engagements as part of broader efforts to reinforce product certification and enforcement in building materials, a sector where reputational risk and liability can be significant for manufacturers and developers. Tighter coordination between regulators and major producers can also influence compliance costs, procurement decisions and the adoption of new materials, particularly as sustainability requirements become more prominent in construction.

In their next steps, Bamburi said the two organisations would maintain open communication channels, collaborate on consumer safety awareness and participate in technical committees focused on “future-proof eco-materials.”

Bamburi Cement PLC is a member of the Amsons Group, which the company described as a privately owned Pan-African conglomerate established in 2000 in Tanzania with operations across multiple sectors and countries, including Kenya.

The Alcoholic Beverages Association of Kenya (ABAK) has thrown its weight behind ongoing multi-agency enforcement operations targeting substandard and illicit alcohol brands after inspections in Nyeri County found some sampled products unfit for human consumption.

In a press release dated March 26, 2026 in Nairobi, ABAK said the operation involved officers from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the County Public Health Department and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). According to ABAK, alcoholic beverages sampled from retail outlets in Gatitu town, Nyeri County failed to meet required standards and were deemed unfit for human consumption.

The statement comes against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny on illicit alcohol in the county following reported deaths of two individuals linked to suspected illicit alcohol in Nyeri County, which ABAK said prompted a crackdown and revealed “concerning levels of toxic brews being circulated within the region.”

ABAK chairperson Kui Kinyanjui said the association supported tougher action against those behind the products flagged during the inspection.

“These findings are deeply troubling and highlight the urgent need for sustained enforcement against substandard and illicit alcohol. Such products endanger consumers and undermine trust in the industry. We support firm action against those responsible,” Kinyanjui said in the release.

ABAK also sought to distance itself from the brands referenced in the enforcement operation, saying their manufacturers are not members of the association.

“ABAK unequivocally disassociates itself from the named brands, whose manufacturers are not members of the Association and do not reflect the standards upheld by compliant manufacturers,” the statement said.

In a further call for coordinated action, Kinyanjui said the industry body would continue working with government agencies to tackle counterfeit and illicit alcohol.

“As ABAK we reiterate our industry-wide commitment to working closely with all Government agencies to eradicate counterfeit and illicit alcohol from the market,” she said.

The crackdown highlights persistent regulatory and public health risks associated with illicit alcohol, an issue that has periodically disrupted Kenya’s formal alcoholic beverages market through enforcement actions, supply chain seizures and reputational concerns for compliant manufacturers and distributors. For the formal sector, sustained enforcement can reduce unfair competition from untaxed or counterfeit products, while also raising compliance expectations across retail channels.

ABAK urged the government to accelerate investigations and prosecutions arising from the Nyeri operation and ensure implicated products are removed from the market.

“ABAK urges the Government to enhance efforts to quickly move to persecute those responsible and remove the implicated products from the market,” the association said, adding that eliminating illicit and unsafe alcohol is critical to protecting consumers and safeguarding the integrity of the industry.

Looking ahead, ABAK said it would continue engaging regulators and urged consumers to buy only licensed products, positioning enforcement and compliance as the next key milestones as investigations in Nyeri continue.