Kenya’s standards regulator has backed five Kenyan-made alcoholic beverage brands temporarily suspended by Rwanda, saying fresh inspections and laboratory tests found them compliant with applicable Kenyan and East African standards.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) issued the assessment after the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA) temporarily suspended the products from the Rwandan market on August 5, 2026.
The affected products are Kenya King Gin and Safari Gin, manufactured by London Distillers Kenya Ltd; Avalon and Sweet Berry Potable Spirits, manufactured by Zheng Hong (K) Ltd; and Gilbey’s Gin, manufactured by Kenya Breweries Ltd.
KEBS said the products had previously undergone conformity assessments, factory inspections, market surveillance and laboratory testing before being certified for the Kenyan market.
Following the Rwanda FDA suspension, KEBS launched a fresh review of the products, examining certification records, quality assurance reports, market surveillance findings, factory inspection reports and laboratory results.
The Kenyan regulator also consulted the affected manufacturers, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, standards agencies from other East African Community (EAC) member states and the EAC Quality Assurance and Testing Sub-committee.
Fresh inspections and laboratory tests
Between August 7 and 10, KEBS conducted targeted inspections at the manufacturing facilities and collected new samples for laboratory analysis.
The inspections examined manufacturing processes, quality management systems, process controls, product traceability, hygiene and sanitation, packaging, labelling and Good Manufacturing Practices.
KEBS said the fresh laboratory tests found all five products compliant with applicable requirements.
The tests covered parameters including alcohol content, methanol, higher alcohols, esters, aldehydes, volatile acids and product labelling.
The regulator also said the manufacturing facilities were found to be operating in compliance with applicable quality, safety and regulatory requirements.
KEBS said the products carry valid Standardisation Marks and had previously met the requirements set under relevant Kenyan and East African standards.
The agency further noted that its routine market surveillance programme during the 2024/2025 financial year involved sampling and testing 69 potable spirit products on the Kenyan market, which it said were found to comply with their respective standards.
Rwanda-Kenya regulatory dispute
The conflicting assessments have created a regulatory issue between Rwanda and Kenya, with KEBS seeking clarification on the basis for the temporary suspension.
KEBS said it is engaging Rwanda FDA and other regional regulatory bodies to establish the reasons behind the suspension and seek a technical resolution through existing EAC mechanisms.
The dispute has also drawn attention to the implementation of common standards within the East African Community, where products certified in one member state may face regulatory action in another.
KEBS maintains that its assessment and certification processes are robust and that the five products meet the applicable standards.
The matter remains subject to discussions between the two countries’ regulatory authorities as they work to establish the basis of Rwanda’s suspension and determine the next steps.
