Principal Secretary for Industry visits KENAS offices
No. 06 Masaba Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi Kenya, January 30, 2023 – Dr. Juma Mukhwana, Ph.D., HSC, the Principal Secretary of the State Department for Industry under the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry, paid an inaugural visit to the Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS) to appreciate the accreditation mandate undertaken by KENAS both locally and within the region. Dr. Juma Mukhwana was received at the new KENAS offices at No. 06 Masaba Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi by the Board Chairperson, Ms. Eva Oduor, the Accreditation Appeals Tribunal Chairperson Mr. Joel Bosek, and the KENAS CEO, Mr. Martin Chesire alongside other members of the Board and the Appeals Tribunal.
Speaking during the visit, Dr. Mukhwana affirmed the Ministry’s support for the work that KENAS does and the efforts being put into finalizing the quality infrastructure policy by the government. In particular, he took a keen note of the regional accreditation of conformity assessment bodies that KENAS is currently providing in Tanzania, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and other neighboring countries “I have taken a key interest in the way KENAS has made inroads within the East African region which is in line with the government focus of ensuring the full utilization of the AfCFTA opportunity for trade.” said Dr. Juma Mukhwana. He further committed to assisting KENAS in setting up an East Africa Accreditation Board.
“We are currently developing new schemes in partnership with Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) on Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme (CORSIA) to help in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from the civil aviation sector and have also projected a partnership with Rivatex East Africa Limited on certification of their products,” intimated the Mr. Martin Chesire while presenting the recent achievement and the future focus areas. In 2018, KENAS had 106 clients but has grown to 256 in 2023 spread across 8 African countries.
Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS) is a State Corporation established by the Kenya Accreditation Service Act, 2019 to be the national accreditation body. We accredit Medical Testing Laboratories, Testing and Calibration Laboratories, Inspection bodies, and Certification bodies. Our vision is to be a symbol of trust in quality, safety, and environmental assurance. The accreditation of conformity assessments provides for order in trade, health, safety, and environmental protection through the elimination of incompetent practices and the creation of a level playing ground for conformity assessment bodies to compete effectively.
For more information, contact us at 0723554475 or mutisyam@kenyaaccreditation.org
Photo 1: Martin Chesire (centre) introducing PS Dr. Juma Mukhwana (left) to the Accreditation Appeals Tribunal Chair, Mr. Joel Bosek (right)
Photo 2: Board of Directors Chairperson, Ms. Eva Oduor (right) presenting the PS Dr. Juma Mukhwana (left) with the KENAS Accreditation Act, the KENAS Strategic Plan 2020 – 2024 and other governance documents for KENAS
Photo 3: The KENAS Board of Directors with the PS Dr. Juma Mukhwana, PhD., HSC (seated – middle)