The Kenya Institute of Supplies Examination Board (KISEB) has announced plans to transition continuing procurement and supply chain students to revised curricula in 2027, with the first examinations under the new programmes scheduled for April.
The changes will affect students pursuing the Certified Procurement and Supply Professional of Kenya (CPSP-K) qualification at Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF) Level 7 and the Diploma in Supply Chain Management, also known as APS-K, at Level 6.
To explain the changes and arrangements for continuing learners, the board will hold virtual sessions for CPSP-K candidates on Thursday, October 22, and diploma candidates on Friday, October 23, with both running from 2pm to 4pm.
“The first examinations under the revised curricula are scheduled for April 2027. To facilitate a smooth transition, KISEB will conduct sensitisation sessions for continuing students to explain the key curriculum changes, transition arrangements and related assessment requirements,” the board wrote in a notice issued on Tuesday, October 20.
University students during a lecture from the Kenya Defence Forces
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KDF
According to a draft curriculum document obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, the board had proposed changes aimed at strengthening practical skills and equipping procurement professionals with knowledge in technology, sustainability, global trade and supply chain risk management.
Under the revised CPSP-K curriculum, professional training will be divided into three stages: Supply Chain Practitioner, Supply Chain Manager and Supply Chain Transformer, each comprising six units for a total of 18.
The first stage covers core areas such as procurement, strategic sourcing, contract management, logistics, inventory, distribution, supply chain finance and entrepreneurship.
The managerial stage introduces digital supply chains and analytics, public procurement and regulatory compliance, management accounting, operations planning, project management and global supply chains.
At the advanced level, the curriculum includes sustainable and ethical supply chain management, risk and business continuity, strategic leadership, governance, public-private partnerships, research and innovation.
It also includes industry-based learning or a capstone project, with candidates who have less than three years of relevant work experience required to undertake industry-based learning.
The transition comes against the backdrop of a 2025 Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM) study that found 40 per cent of supply chain practitioners, particularly those working in county governments, lacked the necessary qualifications, while 15 per cent of practitioners in 109 institutions were operating unlawfully.
KISM also found that 116 practitioners lacked valid licences, with 93 facing preliminary evidence of professional misconduct, raising concerns about professional standards in the sector.
An undated image of county workers
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Kenya County Government Workers Union