Kenya - Certificate of Approval of Weighing and Measuring (Pattern Approval)

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Procedure

Apply In-Person

1. To apply for a certificate of approval of weighing and measuring (Pattern Approval) , the applicant has to submit an application in to the Director , Department of Weights & Measures for approval in such manner as the prescribed. Application forms are available at the weights and measures offices.
2. The applicant has to fill the application form and submit it with all the required documents. A list of all required documents can be found in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
3. The applicant also has to pay the appropriate application fees and submit it together with the required documents and application form to the Director , Department of Weights & Measures
4. The Director, on payment by the applicant of the prescribed fees, will authorize examination on the weighing or measuring instrument in the manner as he thinks fit the suitability for use for trade of instruments of that pattern, regarding in particular to the principle, materials and methods used or proposed to be used in its construction.
5. If the Director is satisfied that weighing or measuring instrument is suitable for use for trade then he issues a certificate of approval of that pattern and may from time to time thereafter authorize modifications as he may think fit.
6. Where a person submits a pattern of a weighing or measuring instrument to the Director as mentioned above, the Director may require the person to deposit with him the weighing or measuring instrument or parts of that pattern or model of such weighing or measuring instrument together with drawings of such weighing or measuring instrument or parts thereof.
7. The certificate of approval granted is granted subject to conditions as the Director may specify in the certificate of approval; and if any person, knowing that such a condition has been imposed with respect to any weighing or measuring instrument, uses or causes or permits any other person to use the same in contravention of that condition he shall be guilty of an offence, and the weighing or measuring instrument shall be liable to be forfeited.
8. The certificate is valid for a period of five years .

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Required Documents

1. Application letter addressed to the Director and indicating the model number of the equipment being submitted
2. If the equipment is imported, certificate of approval/conformity of the equipment from the country of origin issued by the manufacturer of the equipment
3. Original technical user/operation manuals/brochures of the equipment being submitted for approval.
4. Appropriate approval fees in banker’s cheque payable to Director, weights and measures.
5. Any other document that the approving authority may reasonably request.

Office Locations & Contacts

Department of Weights and Measures - Head Office
Department of Weights & Measures
Weights & Measures Building, South C
Popo Road, Off Mombasa Road
P. O. Box 30430-00100
Nairobi, Kenya.
E-Mail: [email protected]

Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives - Head Office
State Department of Trade
Social Security House, Block A, 17th, 23rd Floor
P.O. Box 30418-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Telephone: +254 20-2731531
Fax: +254 20-2731511
Email: [email protected] , [email protected]
Website:Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives

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Eligibility

• The applicant own a Weighing and measuring instrument.

Fees

• Application Fee: Kshs. 10,000/= Electronic Kshs. 6,000/= Mechanic
• License Fee: Free of charge.
• The fees are stipulated by Rule 239 of weights and measures Rules made under section 33 of the weights and measures Act. cap 513, Laws of Kenya (L.N.107of 1999)

Validity

• 5 years

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

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Sample Documents

• Certificate Of Approval

Processing Time

• Depends on nature and type of instrument

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites. 	
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

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Instructions

Please provide other instructions related to the certificate/documents.
e.g. The state office holds birth records since january 1908.

Required Information

1. Name of the applicant
2. Weighing or measuring instrument submitted
3. Maximum capacity
4. Minimum capacity
5. Verification scale interval

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Need for the Document

• The Certificate of Approval of Weighing and Measuring officially agrees or accepts as satisfactory the use of a weighing or measuring instrument in the Republic of Kenya.
• Measuring instrument: includes every instrument for the measurement of length, area, volume, capacity and gauge.
• Weighing instrument: includes all instruments constructed to calculate and indicate prices, compute wages, count or grade articles by use of weighing principles, together with all weights and counterpoises belonging thereto.
• Weighing or measuring equipment: includes a weight, measure or a weighing or measuring instrument.

Information which might help

• In Pattern/Type approval, one equipment of the same pattern is subjected to vigorous tests with the object of ensuring that the instrument will be able to maintain its accuracy and other metrological qualities and characteristics such as sensitivity, repeatability, durability, etc. for a prolonged period, and under varied conditions, of use. It also ensures that such equipment conform to the general specifications laid down in the Weights and Measures Act and that it is not of a type which could be easily manipulated or altered to permit fraudulent use.
• Initial verification means the verification of a new weighing or measuring equipment before it is sold or brought into trade use. Under the law, every such equipment is required to be duly verified and stamped before being released for sale.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

• Weights and Measures Act

Others

The need for Weights and Measures (Legal Metrology)

• As mentioned earlier, the law relating to weights and measures, known internationally by the name “Legal metrology”, is not only a vital instrument of consumer protection but is also vital for the scientific, technical and industrial development of a country.
• The law has application in almost all spheres of human activity ranging from ordinary trade transactions to evaluations of value of products which are subject to duty or other taxes and even those measurements needed for ensuring public health and human safety.
• In ordinary trade transactions, the law ensures that during the sale of any commodity, the quantity delivered to the purchaser is not less than the quantity contracted for and paid for. This does not only save the trader large losses, but by protecting the consumer from cheating, it enhances the consumers’ purchasing power thereby enabling him to purchase more.
• Legal control on measurements involving public health and human safety is equally important from the viewpoint of consumer protection. For example, a clinical thermometer or a blood pressure instrument which is not properly tested may lead to wrong diagnosis and incorrect medication while measurement of axle load on trucks to control overloaded vehicles minimizes damage to roads with the consequent reduction of road fatalities and expenditure on development and maintenance of public roads.
• In the case of pre-packaged commodities, the primary need is that the packages intended for retail sale should be marked with the correct statement of quantity together with such other information as would help the consumer make an informed choice of the product or commodity he/she intends to buy.

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