The Government has directed a comprehensive overhaul of the national qualifications framework, warning that institutions must fully comply with national policies or risk being left behind in the country’s transformation agenda.
Deputy Head of the Public Service (DHOPS), Amos Gathecha, said the era of business-as-usual was over, stressing that Kenya’s education and skills systems must be repositioned to support inclusive growth, employment creation, and economic resilience.
Gathecha spoke during the 1st National Qualifications Conference held in Nairobi, where he officially opened the function on behalf of the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Felix K. Koskei.
He said the reforms would ensure the country’s qualifications system not only recognises academic achievement but also equips citizens with skills needed in a rapidly changing global economy.
“Our qualifications system must not merely reflect past achievements. It must actively propel us towards a more productive, inclusive, and globally competitive future”, he said.
In a major move aimed at eliminating fake academic papers in the public service, Gathecha announced closer collaboration between the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF) and the Public Service Commission (PSC).
He said the partnership would align regulatory oversight with recruitment standards to seal loopholes that have allowed fraudulent certificates into the public sector.
“The two institutions will establish a closed-loop system that eliminates the possibility of fraudulent credentials entering the public service,” he declared.
The DHOPS cited countries such as Singapore as examples of nations that have successfully built competitive economies through quality education, discipline, adaptability, and continuous learning.
He called on Government institutions to fully implement national policies and support the development of a responsive qualifications system capable of meeting the country’s labour market demands.
“Let us reimagine Kenya’s qualifications framework as a dynamic and responsive system that secures Kenya’s place as a competitive knowledge economy,” he said.
Gathecha also commended development partners for supporting reforms in the education and skills sector, while urging them to align their interventions more closely with Kenya’s national priorities.
The conference brought together stakeholders from Government, academia, industry and development organisations to discuss reforms aimed at strengthening the credibility, relevance and competitiveness of Kenya’s qualifications system.
By Jacqueline Adyang (PCO)
