Nairobi, Kenya | 26 August 2026: The Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) Director General/CEO, Dr. Alice Kande, has highlighted the critical role of the Authority in strengthening the integrity, comparability, quality and recognition of qualifications and skills within Kenya’s education and training ecosystem.
Speaking during an interview with Signs TV, Dr. Kande explained the rationale behind the establishment of the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF) and KNQA, noting that the country’s increasingly diverse education and training landscape requires a coordinated system that promotes harmony, transparency and confidence in qualifications.
She noted that KNQA plays a central role in implementing the KNQF by bringing together different actors across the education and training sector, including education and training institutions, qualifications awarding bodies, regulators, professional bodies, industry and other stakeholders.
Strengthening Harmony in the Education and Training Sector
Dr. Kande explained that the establishment of the KNQF was informed by the need to create a coherent national system for classifying, comparing, recognising and facilitating the progression of qualifications acquired through different learning pathways.
The CEO explained that the qualifications ecosystem is very diverse, and there are different regulators and awarding bodies within the various sectors. KNQA provides a mechanism through which these different components can work together within a common national qualifications framework.
The CEO emphasised that KNQA works closely with sub-sector regulators and other stakeholders to promote consistency and complementarity across education and training pathways while supporting quality assurance and lifelong learning.
This collaborative approach is critical in ensuring that qualifications remain relevant to the needs of learners, employers and the wider economy while facilitating progression and mobility.
Recognising Skills Beyond the Classroom
A key area highlighted during the interview was the Authority’s work in expanding the recognition of skills and competencies acquired outside conventional classroom-based learning.
Dr. Kande noted that many Kenyans possess valuable knowledge and skills acquired through work experience, apprenticeships, informal learning and other forms of non-formal learning. The challenge has traditionally been how to formally recognise and certify these competencies.
She highlighted the Authority’s work towards establishing a policy framework for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), which seeks to provide a structured mechanism for individuals to have their existing skills and competencies assessed and, where they meet the required standards, recognised and certified.
The CEO noted that RPL has the potential to open opportunities for a wide range of people, including persons with disabilities, refugees and forcibly displaced persons, as well as workers and other individuals who may have acquired competencies outside the formal education system.
Recognition of Prior Learning allows us to look beyond where and how a person acquired their skills and focus on what they are actually able to demonstrate.
The approach supports more inclusive pathways into education, training, employment and further skills development while contributing to the broader national agenda on lifelong learning.
Protecting the Integrity and Credibility of Qualifications
Dr. Kande also discussed the importance of maintaining public confidence in qualifications through effective verification and information management systems.
She highlighted the National Qualifications Database (NQD) as an important component of Kenya’s qualifications integrity architecture. The database provides a centralised platform for information on qualifications and supports efforts to improve the credibility, transparency and verification of qualifications.
The CEO noted that strengthening qualifications integrity is increasingly important in the current environment where qualifications and skills facilitate employment, further education and mobility across borders.
She further pointed to Kenya’s engagement with regional and continental frameworks and conventions aimed at strengthening the recognition, comparability and portability of qualifications.
Such frameworks are particularly important in promoting mobility of learners and workers while ensuring that recognition of qualifications is underpinned by agreed principles of quality, transparency and trust.
Micro-Credentials: Responding to a Changing Labour Market
The interview also explored the rapidly changing nature of education, training and work, particularly the growing demand for demonstrable skills and competencies.
Dr. Kande observed that employers are increasingly interested not only in traditional academic qualifications but also in the specific skills and competencies that individuals can demonstrate.
This shift has contributed to the rapid growth of short courses and other forms of learning, including programmes delivered through online platforms.
While these opportunities can expand access to learning and support continuous professional development, the growing diversity of short-form learning also presents the need for mechanisms to identify, map, quality-assure and appropriately recognise such learning.
The CEO noted that KNQA, in collaboration with partners and stakeholders, is working towards developing a framework for micro-credentials in Kenya. She explained that the country is currently progressing the development of a micro-credentials policy, with a targeted stakeholder engagement conducted within the same week forming an important part of the process.
The policy is expected to provide greater clarity on the identification and integration of micro-credentials within the broader qualifications ecosystem, while supporting quality, relevance and learner mobility.
Accessing KNQA Services
Dr. Kande also used the opportunity to create awareness about the services offered by KNQA to the public and other stakeholders.
Among the key services are alignment and validation of qualifications, registration of Qualifications Awarding Bodies (QABs), registration of qualifications and programmes, registration and management of graduate records, and other services aimed at strengthening the integrity and transparency of the qualifications system.
The Authority also plays a role in supporting continuous reforms within Kenya’s education and training sector through the development and implementation of policies, standards and quality assurance mechanisms.
Dr. Kande emphasised that KNQA’s work is ultimately centred on ensuring that Kenya has a qualifications system that is credible, transparent, inclusive, responsive and aligned to the needs of the labour market and national development.
Towards a More Integrated Qualifications System
KNQA continues to work with government agencies, regulators, qualifications awarding bodies, education and training institutions, industry, development partners and other stakeholders to strengthen implementation of the KNQF.
The interview provided an opportunity for KNQA to deepen public understanding of its mandate while highlighting the importance of a coordinated national approach to qualifications, skills recognition and lifelong learning.
