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The qualifications landscape in Kenya a decade ago was a maze of disconnected paths and uncertain learning outcomes. A student embarking on a technical craft certificate often finds themselves at a structural dead end, where their practical mastery becomes more of a terminal point rather than a stepping stone for a defined pathway. In higher education, their prior years of rigorous technical training often counted for little if anything in the qualification process. This compelled many to start from the absolute bottom if they wished to pursue a degree.
At the same time, the job market was flooded with certificates of varying quality, leaving employers in a state of perpetual scepticism. This fragmentation stifled individual careers and hampered national productivity by failing to recognise the true depth of the country’s human capital. The birth of the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF) through the Act of 2014, operationalised by the KNQF Regulations (General) of 2025, was a legislative milestone that radically changed the way we value, recognise, and certify knowledge, skill, experience and progression in general.
As we stand ten years into this transformative journey, the progress is palpable, yet the mission remains incomplete. The first decade has been defined by the Herculean task of building the “plumbing” of the system. The nation has moved from a siloed approach to a standardised and harmonised ten-level grid. The 10-Level National Qualifications Framework serves as a national translator for skills, ensuring that a Level 6 qualification, whether earned in a university lecture hall or a technical institute, carries a specific, measurable weight recognised not just in Kenya but globally. This harmonisation has facilitated seamless progression from one level to the other and between the various sub-frameworks.
The establishment of the National Qualification Database (NQD) has further fortified this foundation, as a central registry that safeguards the integrity of our academic credentials. While the country’s higher education was once threatened by “degree mills” that focused on churning out unrecognised qualifications thus devaluing the Kenyan certificate, the NQD has become a vital tool for restoring global trust in our graduates.
However, the most profound shift of the last decade has not occurred within the ivory towers of academia, but in the bustling workshops of the informal sector. The “Jua Kali” sector has been the engine of the Kenyan economy, yet its artisans remained invisible in the formal records of national achievement. A master welder with twenty years of experience was, on paper, often categorised as unskilled simply because they lacked a formal certificate. The rollout of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework has begun to dismantle this systemic injustice. Through the creation of a pathway where experience can be assessed and certified, the qualifications framework has started to bridge the gap between the informal and formal economies. Programs like the NYOTA initiative have demonstrated that when we validate the skills of the youth, we provide a sense of dignity and a passport to better opportunities. This recognition is a critical pillar of social justice, ensuring that learning is valued regardless of where, how or when it was acquired.
The next decade must therefore be defined by a massive cultural shift that aims to “de-stigmatise” technical pathways. This will require concerted effort to showcase the high-value, high-tech nature of modern Technical and Vocational Education and Training. We must aim and reach a point where a Level 6 Diploma in Mechatronics is viewed with the same prestige as a university degree in a social science.
Looking toward the next ten years, the stakes are heightened by the full implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in basic education and CBET in higher levels. By 2029, the first cohort of CBC students will transition into higher education and eventually the workforce. This group will enter a world where the ability to apply knowledge is prized over the ability to memorise it.
The qualifications framework has handled this shift seamlessly by providing a credible and coherent structure with clear mapping of all levels of education and training from basic to the highest level (Doctorate). The Framework is dynamic and flexible, capable of capturing the nuanced competencies that the CBC and CBET aim to foster. The transition period will be the ultimate litmus test for the framework’s flexibility and its ability to deliver on the promise of a more practical, relevant education system.
The next decade must see Kenya look beyond its borders. The increasingly globalised labour market calls for the portability of qualifications as a necessity. Our engineers, nurses, teachers, and artisans are increasingly seeking opportunities in the regional and international markets. We must ensure that a Kenyan qualification is a globally recognised currency that those who possess it can comfortably apply elsewhere. This internationalisation will not only benefit individual workers but will also position Kenya as a regional hub for education and specialised training. If we can guarantee the quality and transparency of our qualifications, we can attract students and investors from across the continent, turning our education sector into a significant export earner.
Digital transformation also continues to play a pivotal role in the qualifications transformation, both locally and abroad. The traditional paper certificate is becoming an artefact of the past. The next phase of reform will involve the adoption of digital & micro credentials and blockchain-verified certificates. This would not only make the verification process instantaneous for employers but would also empower learners to carry their digital skill wallet wherever they go. Imagine a world where a worker can present a QR code that instantly verifies their entire learning history from their basic or primary school results to their latest industry-certified micro-credential. This level of transparency would virtually eliminate certificate forgery and significantly reduce the time and cost of the hiring process.
The next decade must also see industry leaders taking a more pronounced seat at the table. Sector Skills Committees should creatively and more actively define the standards and competencies required for their respective industries. If the telecommunications industry needs a specific set of skills for 5G deployment, those requirements should be reflected in the national qualifications framework almost in real-time. The gap between graduation and employability can only be closed if the framework is responsive to the rapidly changing needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
As we reflect on the first decade of reforms in the qualifications landscape, we must acknowledge that the Kenya National Qualifications Framework is a promise that no learner will ever find themselves at a dead end, and that every ounce of effort and skill will be recognised and rewarded. The task for the next ten years is to breathe life into laid structures, making them work for the electronics technician in Imenti House, the software developer in a tech hub, the Jua Kali artisan downtown, and the student in a rural Vocational Technical College.
The writer is the Director General and CEO of Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA)
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The qualifications landscape in Kenya a decade ago was a maze of disconnected paths and uncertain learning outcomes. A student embarking on a technical craft certificate often finds themselves at a structural dead end, where their practical mastery becomes more of a terminal point rather than a stepping stone for a defined pathway. In higher education, their prior years of rigorous technical training often counted for little if anything in the qualification process. This compelled many to start from the absolute bottom if they wished to pursue a degree.
At the same time, the job market was flooded with certificates of varying quality, leaving employers in a state of perpetual scepticism. This fragmentation stifled individual careers and hampered national productivity by failing to recognise the true depth of the country’s human capital. The birth of the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF) through the Act of 2014, operationalised by the KNQF Regulations (General) of 2025, was a legislative milestone that radically changed the way we value, recognise, and certify knowledge, skill, experience and progression in general.
As we stand ten years into this transformative journey, the progress is palpable, yet the mission remains incomplete. The first decade has been defined by the Herculean task of building the “plumbing” of the system. The nation has moved from a siloed approach to a standardised and harmonised ten-level grid. The 10-Level National Qualifications Framework serves as a national translator for skills, ensuring that a Level 6 qualification, whether earned in a university lecture hall or a technical institute, carries a specific, measurable weight recognised not just in Kenya but globally. This harmonisation has facilitated seamless progression from one level to the other and between the various sub-frameworks.
The establishment of the National Qualification Database (NQD) has further fortified this foundation, as a central registry that safeguards the integrity of our academic credentials. While the country’s higher education was once threatened by “degree mills” that focused on churning out unrecognised qualifications thus devaluing the Kenyan certificate, the NQD has become a vital tool for restoring global trust in our graduates.
However, the most profound shift of the last decade has not occurred within the ivory towers of academia, but in the bustling workshops of the informal sector. The “Jua Kali” sector has been the engine of the Kenyan economy, yet its artisans remained invisible in the formal records of national achievement. A master welder with twenty years of experience was, on paper, often categorised as unskilled simply because they lacked a formal certificate. The rollout of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework has begun to dismantle this systemic injustice. Through the creation of a pathway where experience can be assessed and certified, the qualifications framework has started to bridge the gap between the informal and formal economies. Programs like the NYOTA initiative have demonstrated that when we validate the skills of the youth, we provide a sense of dignity and a passport to better opportunities. This recognition is a critical pillar of social justice, ensuring that learning is valued regardless of where, how or when it was acquired.
The next decade must therefore be defined by a massive cultural shift that aims to “de-stigmatise” technical pathways. This will require concerted effort to showcase the high-value, high-tech nature of modern Technical and Vocational Education and Training. We must aim and reach a point where a Level 6 Diploma in Mechatronics is viewed with the same prestige as a university degree in a social science.
Looking toward the next ten years, the stakes are heightened by the full implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in basic education and CBET in higher levels. By 2029, the first cohort of CBC students will transition into higher education and eventually the workforce. This group will enter a world where the ability to apply knowledge is prized over the ability to memorise it.
The qualifications framework has handled this shift seamlessly by providing a credible and coherent structure with clear mapping of all levels of education and training from basic to the highest level (Doctorate). The Framework is dynamic and flexible, capable of capturing the nuanced competencies that the CBC and CBET aim to foster. The transition period will be the ultimate litmus test for the framework’s flexibility and its ability to deliver on the promise of a more practical, relevant education system.
The next decade must see Kenya look beyond its borders. The increasingly globalised labour market calls for the portability of qualifications as a necessity. Our engineers, nurses, teachers, and artisans are increasingly seeking opportunities in the regional and international markets. We must ensure that a Kenyan qualification is a globally recognised currency that those who possess it can comfortably apply elsewhere. This internationalisation will not only benefit individual workers but will also position Kenya as a regional hub for education and specialised training. If we can guarantee the quality and transparency of our qualifications, we can attract students and investors from across the continent, turning our education sector into a significant export earner.
Digital transformation also continues to play a pivotal role in the qualifications transformation, both locally and abroad. The traditional paper certificate is becoming an artefact of the past. The next phase of reform will involve the adoption of digital & micro credentials and blockchain-verified certificates. This would not only make the verification process instantaneous for employers but would also empower learners to carry their digital skill wallet wherever they go. Imagine a world where a worker can present a QR code that instantly verifies their entire learning history from their basic or primary school results to their latest industry-certified micro-credential. This level of transparency would virtually eliminate certificate forgery and significantly reduce the time and cost of the hiring process.
The next decade must also see industry leaders taking a more pronounced seat at the table. Sector Skills Committees should creatively and more actively define the standards and competencies required for their respective industries. If the telecommunications industry needs a specific set of skills for 5G deployment, those requirements should be reflected in the national qualifications framework almost in real-time. The gap between graduation and employability can only be closed if the framework is responsive to the rapidly changing needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
As we reflect on the first decade of reforms in the qualifications landscape, we must acknowledge that the Kenya National Qualifications Framework is a promise that no learner will ever find themselves at a dead end, and that every ounce of effort and skill will be recognised and rewarded. The task for the next ten years is to breathe life into laid structures, making them work for the electronics technician in Imenti House, the software developer in a tech hub, the Jua Kali artisan downtown, and the student in a rural Vocational Technical College.
The writer is the
Director General and
CEO of Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA)
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By Dr Alice Kande