What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is third party attestation related to a conformity assessment body conveying formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks. (ISO/IEC 17011)

Accreditation is an enabler and a driver for quality in universal healthcare, affordable housing, food security and manufacturing which are components of the big four agenda.

Accreditation provides a framework for Conformity Assessment Bodies to improve their processes and outcomes, which stimulates continuous quality improvement in service delivery for every Kenyan. Conformity assessment activities include laboratories that carry out general testing, medical testing, calibration, inspection bodies and certification bodies.

Accreditation of such bodies will provide an independent confirmation that they are able to consistently provide high-quality services and products to Kenyans. This will, in turn, provide the desired credibility, reliability, and trust that will enable trade in goods and services on the global market, thereby reducing technical barriers to trade, a principle embraced by the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In simple terms, accreditation is a process that allows a business to be seen as a knowledgeable body that can carry out a specific task.