The government recognises learning acquired outside traditional classrooms through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has said.
Speaking during the opening of the 1st National Qualifications Conference in Nairobi, in a speech delivered by TVET Principal Secretary Esther Muoria, Ogamba said no Kenyan should be denied opportunities because their learning pathway was unconventional.
He said the government is promoting modular and flexible learning pathways, credit accumulation and transfer systems, and micro-credentials to support skills recognition and workforce development.
Ogamba noted that the implementation of the Kenya Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (KCATS) will allow learners to move seamlessly across basic education, TVET, professional, and academic institutions without losing credits.
He added that the government, in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Commonwealth of Learning, is developing a National Micro-credentials Framework to support rapid upskilling in response to global labour market demands.
On March 18, 2026, the government validated the report on referencing the KNQF to the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF).
“This historic step means that a qualification earned in Kenya is understood, respected, recognised, and valued across the continent, facilitating the seamless mobility of our skilled professionals,” the CS said.
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The conference, organised by the Kenya National Qualifications Authority under the theme “A Decade of Transformation and Reimagining Qualifications in Kenya,” highlighted reforms aimed at strengthening Kenya’s qualifications framework.
KNQA Council Chairperson Stanley Kiptis said the authority has registered more than 2,600 national qualifications and anchored 72 Qualification Awarding Bodies within the national framework.
By Obegi Malack
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