The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has warned manufacturers and traders against displaying its Standardization Mark on khat-infused beverages commonly referred to as jaba juice, informing them that the products are not covered by its current certification scheme.
In a public notice dated Friday, October 16, 2026, the agency warned that some manufacturers with approved permits for manufacturing regular fruit juices and fruit drinks had been using their approvals to advertise and sell khat-infused beverages.
KEBS clarified that certification permits were only issued for the approved products and did not extend to other drinks produced by the same manufacturer.
“KEBS has therefore not issued Standardization Mark permits for any khat-infused beverages.”
The warning indicated that the presence of the S-Mark was not an indicator of KEBS’ endorsement of such products.
The agency determined that khat and products made from the leaves were currently excluded from its product certification scheme due to regulatory and legal restrictions concerning the psychoactive stimulant properties of the substance.
Therefore, KEBS warned that the display of its certification mark or misrepresentation of products as certified by the agency for products not within the approved scope constituted a violation of the Standards Act, Cap 496, and could result in regulatory action.
While the warning did not confirm that all jaba juice products sold in Kenya were not certified by KEBS, it addressed the allegation that some manufacturers and sellers of the product made false claims concerning the endorsement of their products by the agency.
KEBS stated that it had permanently withdrawn certification permits from respondents found to have violated the regulations and would continue conducting surveillance in the market to identify manufacturers and traders misusing its certification mark.
“KEBS has revoked certification permits in identified cases of non-compliance and will continue to undertake market surveillance and take appropriate action against manufacturers and traders found misusing the Standardization Mark.”
However, the notice did not reveal the names of the manufacturers involved or the number of businesses that had received revocation orders.
KEBS advised consumers to confirm the claims by manufacturers and traders of their products. The public was requested to call the agency’s SMS verification line at 20023 or the toll-free number 1545, to report suspected violations of the Standardization Mark.
The agency will continue to conduct market surveillance activities and take regulatory action against manufacturers and traders found to make unsubstantiated claims concerning the certification of their products by KEBS.
Consumers should be wary that the mere presence of a certificate issued by a manufacturer or trader certifying that a product is compliant with KEBS standards is not sufficient evidence that the product is certified by KEBS. In addition, a manufacturer granted a permit to produce ordinary fruit juice does not imply that they have received approval to produce khat-infused drinks.