The University Management together with Auditors from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS)
The three-day re-certification audit of the University under the ISO 9001:2015 Standard has come to a successful end today with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) recommending KarU for re-certification subject to fulfillment of a number of requirements. The audit, whose scope was provision of teaching, research and community outreach, was conducted between 11th and 13th October, 2023.
Among others, the audit aimed to determine the conformity of the University’s management system, or parts of it, with audit criteria, determine the ability of the management system to ensure the University meets applicable statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements, determine the effectiveness of the management system to ensure that the University can reasonably expect to achieve its specified objectives, identify any areas for potential improvement of the management system as well as reviewing of the performance of the management system through the certification cycle.
The Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic, Research and Student Affairs), Prof. Hellen Kamiri, speaking on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Linus Gitonga, noted that the University is committed to the implementation of the Quality Management System and all that it entails. This is in pursuit of seeing the University attain quality in its processes and to give out the best to all its stakeholders, she said.
Participants during the Opening Meeting of the Re-certification Audit
According to the Director, Quality Assurance and ISO, Prof. Mugo Mware, the re-certification process under ISO 9001:2015 Standard started in September 2019 after the expiry of the ISO 9001:2018 in June 2018. The University was eventually certified by KEBS under the new standard on 18th June 2020. Prof. Mware appreciated KEBS for the support it has given the University especially in guiding it to improve its quality management system. He noted that several surveillance audits that led to the re-certification audit had been held. He further appreciated the commitment of the top management in helping the University meet the statutory, legal and regulatory requirements.
Ms. Naomi Kitur, the Lead Auditor from KEBS, noted that Karatina University had completed the three-year cycle of certification hence it was ready for a re-certification audit. She appreciated the University, on behalf of the KEBS Management, for its support over the lapsed period in running the system in line with the Quality Management System.
The findings indicated that there is a quality management system in place and that the audited staff are aware of the different procedural requirements and implementation of the system. There were six (6) non-conformities among which two (2) were major and four (4) were minor. Some of the non-conformities mentioned include shortage of human resources, evaluation of actions taken to address risks and opportunities listed in the University risk register, implementation of corrective actions to address non-conformities and curriculum delivery in terms of analysis of class attendance. The team also listed a number of opportunities for improvement from the sampled audit sections. KEBS recommended re-certification subject to coming up with a corrective action plan within fourteen (14) days and to close-out on the major non-conformities within sixty (60) days.