Weights & Measures

The mandate of Weights & Measures Directorate is to ensure fair trade practices and consumer protection.

Mision & Vision

Mission: To ensure uniform and accurate legal metrology systems, Fair Trade practices and Consumer protection.

Vision: To be a global leader in the provision of National Legal Metrology Services.

Services Offered & Fees Charged

At National Level we offer the following services:

  • Formulation and review of policy and legislation
  • Type approval of new models of weighing and measuring equipment used for legal metrology work
  • Liaising with international Legal Metrology bodies
  • Provision of traceability to County Legal Metrology systems through calibration of standards and testing of equipment
  • Licensing of repairers of weighing and measuring equipment used for legal metrology work
  • Registration of manufacturers and sellers of weighing and measuring equipment
  • Training of legal metrology officers in the country

At County level we offer the following services:

  • Verification of weighing and measuring equipment in trade
  • Inspection of weighing and measuring instruments and pre-packed goods  to ensure compliance with Weights and Measures Act Cap 513 and Trade descriptions Act Cap 505
  • Investigations of complaints arising from Weights and Measures Act Cap 513 and Trade descriptions Act Cap 505
  • Prosecutions of offences arising from Weights and Measures Act Cap 513 and Trade descriptions Act Cap 505

Fees Charged

Prescribed nominal fees is charged for the services offered by the Department as per the Weights and Measures Act, Cap 513 of the Laws of Kenya.

Trader/Consumer Obligations and how to seek redress

Trader Obligations

  1. Ensure that every piece of equipment in your possession for use for trade bears a valid stamp of verification.
  2. Ensure that the equipment bears a valid stamp of verification before buying it. It should also be suitable for the job intended.
  3. If an inspector tests your equipment and reports to you that it is inaccurate, ensure that the equipment is repaired and re-stamped before putting back for use for trade.
  4. If accuracy of your equipment is suspected for any reasons take it out of use and call an inspector immediately.
  5. Ensure that a pre-packed goods sold by you complies with the weights and measures sale and labeling of goods rules.

Consumer Obligations

  1. Ensure that weighing and measuring equipment in use by a trader are tested and stamped by an inspector.
  2. Insist on delivery of correct quantity in your purchase and in particular learn to read the scale indications and observe the weighing of your purchase.
  3. Report suspected inaccuracies or violations of the Weights and Measures Act to an inspector of Weights and Measures.

All complaints should be directed to the Director of Weights and Measures or the County Weights and Measures officer.

When making complaints report in time, provide accurate information and assist the inspector with investigations.

Organization of the Directorate

For effective service delivery the Directorate is organized into four (4) divisions

  1. Operations services
  2. Technical Services
  3. Enforcement Services
  4. Research and Development

Functions of the divisions

The functions undertaken by the divisions are as follows;-

Operations services

  • Reviewing and developing legal metrology service administrative policies.
  • Coordinating acquisition, care and maintenance of national legal metrology standards and testing equipment
  • Overseeing inter-comparison of the primary legal metrology standards with international prototype standards
  • Oversee operations of calibration laboratories at the county to ensure traceability. 
  • Licensing of weighing and measuring equipment technicians, manufactures and sellers
  • Liaising with the county legal metrology Directors and other local stake holders on the administration of legal metrology service.
  •  Liaising with relevant regional and international institutions on accreditation and certification of National legal metrology Laboratories.
  • Carrying out Advocacy of the legal metrology service
  • Managing the weights and measures departmental Database.

Enforcement Services

  • Formulating, monitoring and evaluating the implementation of laws and regulations relating to legal metrology
  • Coordinating the review and harmonization of all policies, statutes, rules and regulations related to weights and measures.
  • Operationalization of the Consumer Protection Act 2012 through provision of a secretariat to an advisory committee.
  • Prosecuting and initiating appeals in liaison with the Director of Public Prosecutions at National level.
  • Analyzing and reviewing Regional and International Legal Metrology recommendations  and documents for adoption
  • Receiving and acting on complaints arising from trade malpractices and consumer protection at National level.
  • Providing advice and interpretation on the enforcement of the weights and measures legislation.
  • Representing the Directorate in regional and international fora for the review, development and harmonization of legal metrology legislation

Technical services

  • Formulating and developing policies relating to technical matters of the legal metrology service. 
  • Developing and implementing quality assurance procedures for testing and calibrating weighing and measuring equipment at the National Weights and Measures laboratories and at the county laboratories.
  • Developing and aligning weighing and measuring equipment test procedures with the international (OIML), regional and sub-regional requirements.
  • Approving new patterns of weighing and measuring equipment intended for use for trade.
  • Calibrating the National legal metrology primary reference standards, secondary standards, secondary reference standards and the County secondary reference standards 
  • Reviewing technical specifications of weighing and measuring equipment for use for trade and for ensuring human and health, safety and the protection of the environment.
  • Representing the Directorate in regional and international technical fora.

Research and Development

  • Reviewing and developing research and training policies for the Legal Metrology service.
  • Coordinating the review, development and implementation of Legal metrology professionals training curriculum
  • Coordinating departmental and county technical training programmes
  • Coordinating legal metrology research programmes and disseminating the results to the relevant users.
  • Developing and promoting appropriate technology transfer/interlinks in liaison with manufactures of weighing and measuring equipment
  • Promoting innovation in the field of legal metrology

Director of Weights and Measures

Mr. John Mwaura (read his bio)