The Institute of Certified Secretaries Information

The Certified Public Secretaries Profession has its origin in the United Kingdom, when, in 1891, the Institute of Chartered Secretaries was formed. The evolution of the Certified Public Secretaries profession in Kenya is traced to the establishment of the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board (KASNEB) in 1969. The mandate of KASNEB was to examine both Certified Public Accountants and Certified Public Secretaries. KASNEB was included as an institutional structure in the Accountants Act, Cap 531 Laws of Kenya, in July 1977. The Kenya Government appointed a working party on the Certified Public Secretaries profession in 1978, which made its report to the Attorney General in June 1981, where the enactment of the legal framework on the Certified Public Secretaries profession was recommended. In November 1988, the Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya Act, Cap 534 was enacted by Parliament and became operational on November 1, 1989. Globally, Certified Public Secretaries (CPS) have varying titles depending with the type of organization they are working for and the position they occupy in such organizations. Some of the titles applicable include Certified Secretary (CS), Company Secretary, Corporate Secretary, Corporation Secretary, Board Secretary, Chartered Secretary, among others The Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya was established in 1988 under the Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya Act, Cap. 534, of the Laws of Kenya. The Institute is governed by a Council comprising of eleven (11) members, out of whom ten (10) are elected by members and one (1) appointed by the Minister of Finance pursuant to the CPS Act. The Council is led by the Chairman who is also elected by members. The Council operates through Committees established to handle the various activities touching on the CPS profession.