Institute of Certified Secretaries

The Institute of Certified Secretaries (ICS) is a statutory professional membership organization under the National Treasury, established by the Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya Act, Cap. 534 of the Laws of Kenya. 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 Board came into being through an Administrative Order under the auspices of the Directorate of Personnel Management, Office of the President. 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. A provision was made under the Accountants Act to appoint two members to the Board of KASNEB “from the Governing body of such a profession for Certified Public Secretaries and Administrators as may be established with the consent of the Attorney-General”. 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. In Kenya like in many other Countries, the CPS profession is governed by an Act of Parliament, Cap 534 of the Laws of Kenya, which establishes the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (ICPSK) and provides for its operations. 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

1.2 Establishment, Mandate and Operations

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. The Functions of the Institute:

(a) To promote good governance;

(b) To promote standards of professional competence and practice amongst members of the Institute;

(c) To promote research into subjects of governance, management administration , secretarial practice and related matters, publication of books, periodicals, journals and articles in connection therewith;

(d) To promote international recognition of the Institute;

(e) To advise the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board (KASNEB) on the matters relating to examination standards and policies;

(f) To carry out any other functions prescribed for it under any of the provisions of the Act or under any other written law;

(g) To do anything incidental or conducive to the performance of the functions specified under this statute.