World Accreditation Day 2026: Advancing Accreditation for Sustainable Development
The Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS) joined the global accreditation community in commemorating World Accreditation Day (WAD) 2026, bringing together government leaders, regulators, conformity assessment bodies, industry representatives, development partners, assessors, and other stakeholders to celebrate the value of accreditation in supporting economic growth, public confidence, and sustainable development.
Observed annually on 9th June, World Accreditation Day is a global initiative established by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) to raise awareness of the role accreditation plays in facilitating trade, supporting regulation, protecting consumers, and enhancing confidence in products, services, systems, and personnel.
The 2026 celebrations provided an opportunity to reflect on the contribution of accreditation to national development priorities and to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders within Kenya's quality infrastructure ecosystem.
Accreditation: Supporting Confidence Across Sectors
Accreditation provides independent assurance that conformity assessment bodies such as testing laboratories, medical laboratories, calibration laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies, and proficiency testing providers are competent to perform specific activities in accordance with internationally recognized standards.
Through accreditation, governments, businesses, regulators, and consumers gain confidence in the reliability of testing, inspection, calibration, and certification results that support decision-making across various sectors of the economy.
In Kenya, accreditation continues to play an important role in strengthening healthcare systems, facilitating trade, supporting regulatory effectiveness, enhancing environmental protection, promoting industrial competitiveness, and safeguarding consumer interests.
Government Reaffirms Commitment to Quality Infrastructure
A key highlight of the celebrations was the main World Accreditation Day event, whose keynote address was delivered on behalf of the Head of Public Service, Mr. Felix Koskei, by Dr. Juma Mukhwana, the Principal Secretary, State Department for Industry.
The keynote address reaffirmed the Government's commitment to strengthening Kenya's Quality Infrastructure as a critical enabler of industrialization, trade facilitation, investment promotion, and sustainable economic transformation.
The event also provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss emerging opportunities and challenges in conformity assessment and the importance of maintaining confidence in products and services within an increasingly interconnected global marketplace.
Strengthening Partnerships for Greater Impact
World Accreditation Day brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, demonstrating the collaborative nature of accreditation and its contribution to national development.
The celebrations underscored the importance of partnerships among government institutions, regulators, industry, conformity assessment bodies, academia, and development partners in advancing quality, competence, and innovation.
As Kenya continues to pursue its development agenda, accreditation remains an important tool for supporting competitiveness, facilitating market access, and ensuring that products and services meet recognized requirements.
Looking Ahead
The World Accreditation Day 2026 celebrations reaffirmed the importance of accreditation in building confidence, supporting innovation, and enabling sustainable development.
Through accreditation, Kenya continues to build confidence in the competence of organizations that provide testing, inspection, calibration, certification, and other conformity assessment services—contributing to a more competitive economy and a better quality of life for all.
