NAIROBI, Kenya: Kenya’s standards regulator has defended five Kenyan alcoholic beverage brands temporarily suspended in Rwanda, saying fresh laboratory tests and factory inspections found the products compliant with applicable East African quality and safety standards.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) said it had reviewed Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority’s decision to suspend the products and found no evidence from its own assessments that they failed prescribed requirements.
“KEBS wishes to reassure consumers, trade partners, and the public that the five alcoholic beverage brands recently suspended by the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority have undergone rigorous conformity assessment, market surveillance, factory inspection, and laboratory testing by KEBS and have been found to comply with the applicable Kenyan and East African Standards,” the bureau said in a statement dated Aug. 11.
The affected products are Kenya King Gin and Safari Gin, manufactured by London Distillers Kenya Ltd; Avalon and Sweet Berry Portable Spirits, made by Zheng Hong (K) Ltd; and Gilbey’s Gin, manufactured by Kenya Breweries Ltd.
Suspension
Rwanda FDA earlier this month temporarily suspended the importation of 52 alcoholic beverages from several countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, India, Burundi and Poland, and ordered the products recalled from the market.
KEBS said the five Kenyan products carry valid standardisation marks and continue to meet requirements for composition, alcohol content, methanol limits, higher alcohols, esters, volatile acids, packaging, labelling and consumer safety.
“The Bureau remains confident in the robustness of its conformity assessment systems and is actively engaging the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority and other regional regulatory bodies to establish the basis for the temporary suspension and facilitate a technical resolution through established East African Community frameworks,” KEBS said.
Following Rwanda’s announcement, KEBS said it launched a comprehensive review of certification records, quality assurance reports, market surveillance findings, factory inspections and laboratory tests.
It also conducted targeted inspections at the affected manufacturing facilities between Aug. 7 and Aug. 10 and collected fresh samples for analysis.
“The review confirmed that all five products had undergone conformity assessment and testing against the applicable standards and complied with the prescribed quality and safety requirements,” KEBS said.
Laboratory tests covered ethyl alcohol content, methanol, higher alcohols, esters, aldehydes and volatile acids, while factory inspections assessed processing, quality management systems, traceability, hygiene, sanitation, packaging and labelling.
KEBS said all five products passed the additional checks.
The bureau added that its routine market surveillance programme in the 2024/25 financial year sampled and tested 69 potable spirit products available on the Kenyan market, with all found compliant with applicable standards.
The disagreement adds a regional trade dimension to Rwanda’s widening crackdown on alcoholic beverages.
Rwanda has in recent weeks suspended imported brands, recalled scores of alcoholic products and closed several local manufacturing facilities as authorities intensify enforcement on alcohol safety and regulatory compliance.
The measures follow growing concern over alcohol consumption in Rwanda and a recent warning by President Paul Kagame that excessive drinking was harming young people.
KEBS said it would continue engaging Rwanda through East African Community mechanisms while maintaining that the affected Kenyan products meet required safety and quality standards.
