MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, it is an opportunity to look back at the developments of our accreditation system and our contribution globally. It is also a time to reflect on the many efforts made to date and our achievements. Our journey over the past decade has arguably been in catch up mode. Much energy and effort have been spent laying down a sound foundation for our accreditation system, our institution, developing and building trust with our clients and stakeholders. Although we are ten years old as an institution, we also have an extended history in accreditation as a country dating back to 1984, when a small unit at the Kenya Bureau of Standards was established to accredit Calibration or measurement laboratories.
Today, we are proud as an organization that has grown more confident and ready to take-off. Let me highlight a few significant milestones.
One, KENAS now has not only a national role but also an international role of underpinning trust and credibility in everyday products and services, enabling trade for both private and public sectors. The international mutual recognition we attained in November 2017 from the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), made us proud to be the third National Accreditation body in Sub-Saharan Africa to reach this milestone. What it means for us is that the reports or certificates issued by our accredited clients are now accepted worldwide. As a result, we are now able to provide accreditation and training services to other countries, namely The Gambia, Ghana, India, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Second, and more importantly, in July this year, and in time to usher in our next decade, the Kenya Accreditation Services Bill 2018 successfully passed its third reading of legislative process at the National Assembly. The Bill, when enacted into law, concludes the much-needed reforms of modernizing our legal framework to align with international best practice and enhancing our independence.
Besides, another significant milestone is that at the end of the FY 2018/2019, for the first time, we posted a positive financial result contributed by the increase in internally generated income thereby bring down the ratio of Government funding from a high of 80% in FY 2015/2016 to 56% of the total revenue. The positive financial result signals the pathway towards securing our financial sustainability which is necessary for delivering trust in our services.
We could not have been in existence without the early efforts of many Kenyans who came up with the idea of establishing an accreditation system in the mid-1980s. We fully recognize their foresight, dedication, and contribution; we will be ever so grateful to them for their individual and collective efforts.
The 10th Anniversary reminds us and re-dedicates our efforts to our mission of providing greater confidence in accredited conformity assessment services to businesses, government, regulators, consumers, and the public. Much more work still lies ahead, as we celebrate our first decade, we also look ahead at the opportunities to extend and deepen our services to all other sectors. Here are some of our thoughts: what will accreditation mean to our economy in 2030 with our new legal framework? What will our contribution be to the Government’s Big Four agenda on food security, affordable and safe housing, manufacturing and affordable healthcare? And what will be the role of accreditation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)?
With all these questions in mind, the leadership of the Board, the cooperation of our Staff, I am optimistic that KENAS is set to greater prosperity in the coming decades. We will work to realize our vision to be a symbol of trust in quality, safety, and environmental assurance, and to make sure that your trust in products and services is justified. Lastly, it is a great honor for all of us at KENAS to have been part of its first decade.