KEMRI Commences ISO 9001:2015 recertification Audit

The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has officially embarked on the ISO 9001:2015 recertification audit as part of its ongoing commitment to quality service delivery and continuous improvement.

The ISO external audit exercise, which commenced on 19th May 2025 at KEMRI’s Kisumu based Centre for Global Health Research (CGHR) and concluded on 30th May 2025 at the Centre for Public Health Research (CPHR), was officially launched during an opening meeting graced by the Ag. Director of Strategy and Compliance, Mr. Edwin Bett. The audit is being conducted by an external team led by Mr. Philip Deche and Mr. Jared Ogutu from Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), a globally recognized certification body.

While addressing the team during the official opening ceremony of the process, Mr. Bett reaffirmed KEMRI’s dedication to maintaining the highest standards of quality management. “ISO certification is not just a badge of honor it is a demonstration of our promise to deliver reliable, efficient, and people-centered services,” he said, adding that the recertification process provides an opportunity to evaluate how well the Institute’s quality management systems are working and how they can be improved continuously.

On behalf of SGS Kenya, Mr. Deche emphasized the importance of the audit and its role in upholding quality systems. “Our role is to independently verify that KEMRI’s processes are aligned with ISO 9001:2015 requirements, which ultimately translate to enhanced stakeholder confidence,” he noted. The recertification audit will review compliance across various departments, focusing on risk management, leadership, customer satisfaction, and continual improvement of all core principles of the ISO 9001:2015 standard.

The opening meeting was also attended by the Ag. Director Research Capacity Building, Dr. Martin Bundi, Deputy Director Quality Assurance and Risk Management Mr. Patrick Mutinda, Deputy Director Human Resource Management, Mr. Ben Sifuna, Ag. Deputy Director Commercial Enterprise, Ms. Carolyne Wandera, Ag. Deputy Director Finance and Accounts, Mr. Gabriel Kamau, Acting Deputy Director Centre for Biotechnology Research Development Dr. Erick Lelo, Deputy Director Administration Mr. John Musau and Ag. Head Scientific Ethics Review Unit (SERU) Enock Kaibei among others.