Date of publication:
01/09/2026
Kenya
Do domestic laws and policies facilitate the recognition of diplomas, certificates and degrees obtained abroad and in areas not under the State's control, including to practice liberal professions?
Assessment by population
Analysis
According to article 28 (5), refugees are entitled to engage in gainful employment or enterprise or to practice a profession or trade where he holds qualifications recognized by competent authorities in Kenya subject to the laws applicable and taking into special consideration the special circumstances of refugees.
The Kenyan National Qualifications Authority (KNQA), that was set up in 2015, is the mandated institution to recognize local and foreign qualifications and equate them. As per the Kenya National Qualifications Framework Act No. 2014, article 8 (1), it coordinates and harmonize the various levels of education and create a database of all qualifications in the country, including for refugees, among others roles. According to a recent study by ILO, since refugees may lack the necessary documentation that makes it difficult to subject them to what has been established as the standard process, KNQA has put in place a recognition of the prior learning (RPL) process that provides refugees (an explicit target group for RPL) with the opportunity to have their prior training officially recognized in lieu of formal documentation.
Related provisions of domestic law or policy
Kenya National Qualifications Framework Act
- Year: 2014
- Type: Domestic law
- Rights Category: Education, Work & Workplace rights
- Link to external source: https://uoemtvet.embuni.ac.ke/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/KNQF-act.pdf
Legal provision
Article 8(1) Functions of the Authority
The functions of the Authority shall be to— (a) co-ordinate and supervise the development of policies on national qualifications; (b) develop a framework for the development of an accreditation system on qualifications; (c) develop a system for assessment of national qualifications; (d) develop and review interrelationships and linkages across national qualifications in consultation with stakeholders, relevant institutions and agencies; (e) maintain a national database of national qualifications.
The Refugee Act
- Year: 2021
- Type: Domestic law
- Rights Category: Asylum, Education, Freedom of movement, Health, Liberty & security of person, Social protection, Work & Workplace rights, Family life, Documentation
- Link to external source: https://www.refworld.org/legal/legislation/natlegbod/2021/en/124231?prevDestination=search&prevPath=/search?keywords=refugee+act&order=desc&sm_country_name%5B%5D=Kenya&sort=score&result=result-124231-en
Legal provision
Section 29 - Non-refoulement
No person shall be refused entry into Kenya, expelled, extradited from Kenya or returned to any other country or be subjected to any similar measure if, as a result of such refusal, expulsion, return or other measure, such person is compelled to return to or remain in a country where— (a) the person may be subject to persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion; or (b) the person's life, physical integrity or liberty would be threatened on account of external aggression, occupation, foreign domination or events seriously disturbing public order in part or whole of that country. (2) The benefit of subsection 1 may not, however, be claimed by a refugee or asylum seeker whom there are reasonable grounds for him or her being regarded as a danger to the national security of Kenya.