The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) plays a vital role in Kenya’s agricultural sector by ensuring the quality and safety of agricultural inputs and produce. Established under the State Corporations Act in 1996 and formalized through the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service Act 2012, KEPHIS has been instrumental in safeguarding the country’s agricultural sector from harmful pests, diseases, and low-quality inputs.
KEPHIS operates as a regulatory body responsible for plant health, seed certification, testing of agricultural inputs, and ensuring that agricultural produce meets international and national standards. Their work includes inspections, quarantine controls, certification, and the enforcement of agricultural standards, such as pesticide residue limits in fresh produce.
The following is a list of KEPHIS branches across Kenya, providing contact information and location details for ease of access.
1. KEPHIS Headquarters
KEPHIS headquarters is the nerve center of all its operations, located in Karen, Nairobi. It houses the main administrative offices and serves as the central point for all regulatory activities.
- Location: Karen, Off Ngong Road, Nairobi
- Contacts: 0709 891 000 / 020 661 8000
2. Nakuru Office
Located in Lanet, Nakuru, this branch is responsible for regulating agricultural activities in the expansive Rift Valley region. It serves as a key station for seed inspection, testing, and certification.
- Location: Lanet
- Contacts: 0722 209 503 / 0734 330 020
3. Kitale Office
Strategically located along the Eldoret-Kitale Road, this branch ensures the quality of seeds and agricultural inputs in the North Rift region, a hub for maize production.
- Location: Along Eldoret-Kitale Road
- Contacts: 0722 209 502 / 0734 330 019
4. Eldoret Office
Located at Eldoret International Airport, this office is instrumental in regulating exports and imports of agricultural produce, particularly ensuring compliance with international standards.
- Location: Eldoret International Airport
- Contact: 0796 306 015
5. Malaba Border Office
As one of the busiest border points between Kenya and Uganda, the Malaba office plays a key role in managing cross-border agricultural trade, ensuring that imported and exported goods meet safety standards.
- Location: Border Customs Yard
- Contact: 0710 800 535
6. Isebania Office
Located near the Kenya-Tanzania border, this office handles the regulation of agricultural inputs and produce crossing the border, preventing the spread of pests and diseases.
- Location: Migori Road
- Contact: 0714 368 393
7. Mombasa Office
Situated at Kilindini Port, the Mombasa office regulates imports and exports of agricultural products via the port. It is a crucial hub for international trade in agricultural goods.
- Location: Kilindini Port
- Contacts: 0722 209 501 / 0734 330 018
8. Taita Taveta Office
Serving the Taita Taveta region, this office is located in Taveta Town and is responsible for inspections and quality control in this agriculturally productive area.
- Location: Taveta Town
- Contact: 0796 377 761
9. Lunga Lunga Office
Located at the Lunga Lunga border, this office oversees the flow of agricultural produce between Kenya and Tanzania, ensuring all regulations are adhered to.
- Location: Lunga Lunga Border
- Contact: 0725 336 033
10. Bura Office
Serving the agricultural activities in Bura Tana, this office ensures that farmers comply with seed certification and plant health standards.
- Location: Bura Tana
- Contact: 0714 370 075
11. Moyale Office
Located in Moyale, this branch regulates agricultural activities in the northern regions of Kenya, where cross-border trade with Ethiopia is frequent.
- Location: Moyale Town
- Contact: 0720 269 226
12. Kisumu Office
This branch is located along the Kisumu-Kibos Road and serves the Western and Nyanza regions, which are key producers of sugarcane and horticultural crops.
- Location: Along Kisumu-Kibos Road
- Contact: 0728 607 098
13. Busia Office
The Busia office is located at the border with Uganda and is responsible for ensuring that agricultural products entering and leaving Kenya meet the necessary safety standards.
- Location: Busia Customs Yard
- Contact: 0720 326 801
14. Lwakhakha Office
Situated at the Lwakhakha border, this office plays a critical role in safeguarding the agricultural trade between Kenya and Uganda in Bungoma County.
- Location: Lwakhakha Border, Bungoma County
- Contact: 0721 447 697
15. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Office
KEPHIS operates a key branch at JKIA, where it inspects agricultural exports and imports, ensuring they meet international standards for plant health.
- Contacts: 0722 209 504 / 0705 707 353
16. Namanga Border Office
Situated at the Namanga Customs Yard, this office regulates the agricultural produce crossing the Kenya-Tanzania border.
- Location: Namanga Customs Yard
- Contact: 0720 450 626
17. Oloitokitok Border Office
This branch at the Oloitokitok border point ensures compliance with agricultural regulations at the Kenya-Tanzania border.
- Location: Border Point Yard
- Contact: 0740 193 984
18. Embu Office
Located along Embu-Kitui Road, this office serves the central and eastern regions of Kenya, which are major producers of fruits and coffee.
- Location: Muthathari, Along Embu-Kitui Road
- Contact: 0728 600 092
19. Nyeri Office
The Nyeri branch oversees the quality of agricultural inputs and produce in the central highlands, known for tea and coffee farming.
- Location: Along Nyeri-Karatina Road
- Contact: 0700 744 346
20. Timau Office
This branch is located along the Meru-Nairobi Highway and ensures compliance with plant health standards in the Timau region, a key horticultural area.
- Location: Off Meru-Nairobi Highway
- Contact: 0717 533 818
21. Naivasha Office
Located off Mbaria-Kaniu Road, this office serves the Naivasha area, known for its flower farms and export of horticultural products.
- Location: Off Mbaria-Kaniu Road
- Contact: 0795 057 144
22. Plant Quarantine Station, Nairobi
The Plant Quarantine Station in Muguga serves as a critical facility for containing and studying potentially harmful plant pests and diseases before they can spread across the country.
- Location: Muguga
- Contact: 0722 209 505
KEPHIS continues to play a critical role in Kenya’s agriculture by ensuring that farmers, traders, and exporters comply with regulatory standards. With branches across the country, the organization provides accessible services to all regions, ensuring the safety and quality of agricultural inputs and produce.
