The 30-Second Free KEBS SMS Verification (20023)
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has a brilliant, free verification tool that 90% of Kenyan shopkeepers and buyers do not know about.
Every certified product in Kenya has a Standardization Mark (S-Mark) or Diamond Mark with a unique code printed beneath the logo.
Simply open your SMS, type the letter "SM#" followed by the permit number under the logo, and send it to 20023 (e.g. SM#12345 to 20023). Within 30 seconds, KEBS sends you a free reply confirming the brand name, manufacturer, validity status, and expiry date.
Send SMS to 20023 using these official KEBS prefixes:
- For Local Products (S-Mark): Send SM#Permit_Number to 20023
- For Imported Products (ISM): Send CH#Code to 20023
- For Diamond Mark of Quality: Send DM#Permit_Number to 20023
Understanding Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs)
When buying wholesale stock for a shop, boutique, or chemist, authentic Kenyan distributors provide graduated discount tiers: Tier 1 (1–20 units), Tier 2 (21–100 units), Tier 3 (100+ units).
If a supplier refuses to quote you unit prices for 20 units or demands that you buy KSh 300,000 minimum before telling you wholesale rates, they are almost certainly a middleman who has to buy the products from someone else first.
