Kebs urges firms to integrate management systems to boost efficiency

Kebs Managing Director Esther Ngari addresses participants during the sixth Annual Management Representatives and Auditors Conference in Mombasa. [Bernard Orwongo, Standard]

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) has urged institutions to integrate their management systems and use audits to drive national development, efficiency and accountability.

Speaking in Mombasa during the sixth Annual Management Representatives and Auditors Conference, Kebs Managing Director Esther Ngari said organisations should move away from isolated systems and embrace coordinated governance, safety and quality frameworks.

"Auditing should go beyond compliance to drive improvement, reduce risks and promote accountability," said Ngari, adding that strong management systems would improve service delivery and boost economic growth under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

The conference brought together auditors, managers and quality professionals from across the country to discuss approaches that link quality standards to national development.

Ngari said that integrating management systems would make institutions more competitive while ensuring audits contribute to tangible improvements rather than mere regulatory checks.

Kebs is increasingly pushing for synergy between quality, safety and governance frameworks, arguing that coordinated systems provide a clear path for institutional growth and national progress.