Colleges to register afresh with qualifications authority, says PS

TVET Principal Secretary Esther Muoria during a past interview. [File, Standard]

All training institutions will have to register with the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) to get certification.

This will harmonise accreditation of qualifications as the authority seeks to tame the menace of fake and fraudulent qualifications. Tvet Principal Secretary Esther Muoria said the directive would be implemented through Policy Framework for the Accreditation system on Qualifications.

"With the Kenya National Learners Records Database, the accreditation system will govern the registration process for awarding institutions and their qualifications, and establish a comprehensive database of national qualifications to combat fraudulent certifications," said Dr Muoria.

She said institutions can only onboard their qualifications into the system once they have been registered as Qualification Awarding Institutions (QAIs) by the authority. "It is an opportunity to bring in diverse perspectives, identify gaps and align what will serve as a foundation for future generations of professionals," she added.

The PS made the remarks during a workshop on harmonisation of Kenya's qualifications framework held in Machakos County, which brought together key education stakeholders.

"A strong qualifications framework is only as good as its standards and guidelines. These standards will govern how qualifications are designed, accredited, and registered in the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF)," she said.

The PS said with the global workforce increasingly shaped by technological advancements, trainers should ensure Kenya's qualifications remain relevant.

KNQA Director General Alice Kande revealed that the authority is working with other stakeholders to come up with the right qualifications and have required skills in the labour market.

"We want to train Kenyans based on the labour market. We have seen a lot of responses from various stakeholders and hope more will onboard the system. Universities have shown great interest to register their qualifications in the portal as QAIs," said Dr Kande.