What is Accreditation?-KENAS

What is Accreditation?-KENAS

Accreditation is a formal third party confirmation that Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) are competent to carry out specific conformity assessment activities. Conformity Assessment Bodies are those bodies that assess the compliance and or conformance of products, services and suppliers to guided specifications and requirements e.g. Testing and Calibration Laboratories, Proficiency testing Laboratories, Inspection and verification bodies, Medical Laboratories, Certification bodies etc.

Accreditation is distinct from certification because certification focuses on an organization overall compliance with systems and products standards while accreditation focuses on the technical competence of a CAB. Therefore accreditation becomes a formal recognition that the CAB is competent to carry out the declared conformity assessment tasks.

Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS) is the only national accreditation body for Kenya that gives formal recognition that Certification Bodies (CBs), Inspection Bodies (IBs) and Laboratories (testing and calibration, medical, veterinary, pharmaceuticals, proficiency testing scheme providers) are competent to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks

KENAS Accreditation Services

Scopes of Accreditation

Accreditation Standard

Voluntary or Regulatory Domain

Validity Period of Accreditation Certificate

Testing Laboratories

ISO/IEC 17025

Voluntary

3 years

Medical Laboratories

ISO 15189

Voluntary

3 years

Veterinary Laboratory

Reference Medical Laboratories

Pharmaceutical Laboratories

Calibration Laboratories

17025 & OIE

ISO/IEC 15195

ISO/IEC 17025

ISO/IEC 17025

Voluntary

Voluntary

Voluntary

Voluntary

3 years

3 years

3 years

3 years

Management Systems Certification Bodies

ISO/IEC 17021

Voluntary

3 years

Products, Processes and Services Certification

ISO/IEC 17065

Voluntary

3 years

Personnel Certification Bodies

ISO/IEC 17024

Voluntary

3 years

Proficiency Testing (PT) Providers

ISO/IEC 17043

Voluntary

3years

Inspection Bodies

ISO/IEC 17020

Voluntary

3 years

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