This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
On October 18, 2019, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia announced a plan to regulate human resource management in Kenya. The move aims to register and train human resource practitioners afresh under the Institute of Human Resource Management Act.
According to Kobia, the Act establishes a Human Resource Management Professional Examination Board (HRMPEB) that every HR professional must seek accreditation from. This is similar to the requirement for accountants to be registered by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) after undergoing industry training.
Speaking at the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) annual conference in Naivasha, Kobia emphasized the importance of human resource professionals undergoing a similar training and registration. She noted that the Certified HR Professional (CHRP) curriculum was approved and launched in November 2016, and that the government expects anyone practicing HR management in Kenya to demonstrate their capability by taking up the curriculum.
“We need to prepare ourselves with a sound body of knowledge and have authority and influence over the anticipated new order of HR work,” Kobia said. “We also need to upscale our knowledge in order to keep up with global trends and best practices,” she added.
The government's plan to regulate human resource management is part of its efforts to promote professionalism in the field and curb corruption. Kobia challenged human resource professionals to play their rightful roles in maintaining ethics at their workplaces and to assist the government in upholding work ethics and codes of conduct in all sectors of the economy.
