Agency warns of surge in substandard roofing sheets
By Herald Aloo, March 30, 2022
Kenya Bureau of Standard (KEBS) has raised the red flag on the increase in substandard roofing materials that have flooded the local market.
The announcementby the State agency brings to light increasing high cost of construction that has triggered counterfeiting across various sectors with quality of roofing materials being the new challenge.
Nationwide surveillance by KEBS shows that galvanised roofing sheets do not fully comply with the requirement of hot-dip galvanised and corrugated steel sheets specification and hot-dip Aluminium-Zinc coated plain and corrugated steel sheets specification.
“The test reports revealed that the weight of the coating metal used by some brands is way below what is stipulated in the standard. This not only greatly compromises the quality and performance of the roofing sheet metal but also, manufacturers of these brands are undercutting their competitors, resulting in a very uneven playing ground,” KEBS stated in a statement.
Compromising quality
Manufacturers whose brands were found to be non-compliant includes Haut International, Mwananchi Mabati Company Limited, and Obor technology Kenya limited.
The watchdog further revealed that certain manufacturers are importing and processing roofing sheets whose widths are below what is stipulated in the standard, denying customers value for their money.
Some brands also lacked proper labelling and KEBS has warned of brand suspension if manufacturers do not take corrective actions.
The KEBS product certification scheme certifies and issues a Standardization Mark (SM) permit or Diamond Mark of Quality once the product complies with the relevant Kenya Standard.
Imports are often issued with a Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) number.
Flooding of the market with substandard products comes at a time when the sector is battling high cost of building materials that has forced property developers to hold ongoing projects.