Last reviewed October 2026
- Issued by
- The professional body for each profession: EBK, BORAQS, ICPAK, LSK and others
- Valid for
- Practising certificates are typically renewed every year; registration itself is ongoing
- Who needs it
- The key personnel a tender names, and firms in regulated professions that bid as consultants
- Where to apply
- Each body's portal: ebk.go.ke, boraqs.or.ke, icpak.com, lsk.or.ke
- Cost
- Registration and annual fees set by each body; check the current schedule
What they are
Several professions in Kenya may only be practised by people registered with a statutory body, who then hold an annual practising certificate. The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) registers engineers and engineering consulting firms; the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (BORAQS) registers architects and quantity surveyors; the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) issues practising certificates to accountants; the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) does so for advocates. Other bodies cover surveyors, planners, pharmacists, ICT practitioners and more.
Tenders for works and consultancies name the key personnel the bidder must provide, with the registration each must hold, and score the bid on them.
Who must have them
The people a tender names as key personnel: the project manager, the site agent, the resident engineer, the quantity surveyor, the auditor signing the accounts. A consultancy tender may also require the firm itself to be registered, for example an engineering firm with EBK. The NCA, for its part, requires registered technical staff for the higher contractor classes.
Documents you need
- The person's academic certificates and transcripts
- Evidence of the supervised experience the body requires before full registration
- Membership of the professional institution, where the body requires it
- A national ID and KRA PIN
- For a firm, its incorporation documents and the registered professionals who own or run it
How registration works
- The person applies to the body, usually online, with certificates and experience, and may sit an assessment or interview.
- On registration, the person receives a registration number and applies for the annual practising certificate.
- The practising certificate is renewed each year, with the fee and any continuing professional development the body requires.
- A firm applies separately where the body registers firms, with its registered professionals named.
What a tender checks
The evaluation looks at each named person's registration number, the current practising certificate, the CV and often a signed availability statement, and scores them against the requirement. A person named in two concurrent bids, or whose certificate has lapsed, costs points or disqualifies the bid. Keep certified copies of each key person's certificates and renew them in the same month every year.
Why bids get thrown out over them
- The practising certificate attached was for the previous year.
- The person held registration but not a current practising certificate, and the tender required both.
- A technician's certificate was attached where the tender required a registered professional.
- The named person's CV and certificate carried different names or numbers.
How Tendakazi helps
The vault keeps each key person's registration and practising certificate with its expiry, and reminds you before the annual renewal. Our analysts match the people a tender names against the certificates you hold. Registrations with EBK, BORAQS and the other bodies, and key personnel compliance for a particular bid, can be ordered as quoted services.
Questions
What is the difference between registration and a practising certificate?
Registration admits a person to the profession; the practising certificate is the annual licence to practise. Most tenders require both to be current.
Does the firm need to be registered, or only the staff?
It depends on the tender and the profession. Engineering consultancies are registered with EBK as firms; for a works contract, the named staff's certificates are usually what counts.
Can we name a professional we do not employ?
Tenders usually allow proposed personnel with a signed commitment to be available. Naming the same person in several concurrent bids can disqualify them all.
How often are practising certificates renewed?
Typically every year, at the start of the body's calendar. Check each body's current rules.
We handle registrations with EBK, BORAQS and the other bodies, and keep every key person's certificate current, as quoted services.
Read next
General information for suppliers, not legal, tax or financial advice. Procurement law, regulations, thresholds and government systems change: check the current rules with the procuring entity, the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), the National Treasury or KRA, and speak to an advocate or tax adviser about your own case.