The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has issued a fresh directive urging all manufacturers in the country to adhere to the Standards Levy Order as outlined in the Standards Act, Cap 496 of the Laws of Kenya.
This comes in light of recent amendments detailed in Legal Notice No. 136, dated August 6, 2025.
As per the notice, every manufacturer whether running a large factory, a medium-sized business, or a small enterprise needs to pay a standards levy that amounts to 0.2% of their monthly turnover, capped at Ksh4 million (USD$31000) annually.
This levy is due every month by the 20th of the following month, and not complying with this requirement is considered an offense under Kenyan law.
KEBS pointed out that manufacturers with a monthly turnover of Ksh5 million (USD$38800) or less are exempt from this levy.
The authority stressed the importance of compliance, making it clear that failing to inform the Managing Director about manufacturing activities doesn’t excuse a manufacturer from paying the levy.
It noted manufacturers must register with KEBS and disclose their operations in specific sectors, including building and construction, textiles, mechanical and electrical engineering, food and agriculture, and chemicals.
“Payments shall also be done through KRA iTax on or before the 20th day of the succeeding month. Manufacturers whose turnover of the goods manufactured, or services offered in each month net of Value Added Tax, Excise Duty and discounts does not exceed Kenya Shillings, Ksh5,000,000 (USD$38800) per year shall be exempted from paying the levy,” Said KEBS.
Additionally, KEBS encouraged manufacturers to fill out the Standards Levy Registration Form SL1, which can be found in their Information Management System, and to reach out for any clarifications they might need.
The agency also provided a comprehensive list of sectors included in the order, which covers a wide array of industries from construction and engineering to textiles, food processing, agricultural products, chemicals, cosmetics, and even petroleum-related fields.
