Government Chemist Receives ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation from KENAS

The Government Chemist, operating under the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, has officially been awarded the ISO/IEC 17025 Testing Laboratory Accreditation Certificate by the Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS).

This accreditation marks a critical advancement in enhancing the reliability of scientific evidence used across criminal investigations, judicial processes, public health assessments, and regulatory enforcement.

Accreditation Journey and Significance

The department achieved this accreditation in June 2026 after nearly three years of rigorous evaluation. Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo highlighted that the certification verifies the laboratory's adherence to internationally recognized standards of quality, impartiality, and technical competence.

Omollo emphasized the department’s essential role in supporting justice administration, national security, environmental protection, consumer safety, and public health. The Government Chemist also functions as Kenya’s National Authority for the Chemical Weapons Convention and coordinates within the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) framework.

Call for Institutional Collaboration

During the certification ceremony, PS Omollo described the Government Chemist as Kenya’s central institution for forensic science and analytical testing. He underscored the importance of reliable laboratory services in cases involving suspected poisoning, narcotics, and the safety of food, medicines, and industrial chemicals.

He urged government agencies to utilize the Government Chemist as a shared national scientific resource rather than establishing separate, redundant facilities. Such collaboration, he noted, would foster shared expertise, technology, data, and infrastructure, ultimately providing better value for taxpayers.