The Kenya Forest Service Senior ENCOM Officers met in Nyeri for a three day workshop from the 23^rd to 25^th June 2010 to address and develop strategies of combating forestry crime and preventing its degradation.

                    Regianal Commandants pose for a photo with KFS Director during a break at the workshop.

The workshop was chaired by the Commandant KFS (Rtd.) Col. John Kimani who spearheaded the workshop’s coming up with viable work plans and presentations from the Commandants. He termed the workshop as a forum for learning for the officers which will help them in understanding and carrying out their duties in the various capacities in their work stations.    

The Honourable Dr. Noah M. Wekesa EGH, MP Minister for Forestry and Wildlife Addressing the new board of management and  Kenya Forest Service officer where he highlighted some of the achievements and the ongoing processes at the Service. Included highlights were;

• Achievement of an efficient and effective Financial Management System
• Automated Assets Register
• Automated Procurement System
• Start of ISO Certification Process
• Economic and Social pillars
• Increased forest cover and mitigation processes
• The REDD Process
• The carbon market
• Measures to handle the Mau Complex destruction and;
• Close following of the Vision 2030

Above is the Assistant Minister for Forestry and Wildlife Mr. Josphat Nanok(Left) and the Permanent secretary Mr. Mohammed M. Wamwachai as they ephasized on the Forest Act and community associations. Implentation of this Act was emphasized in accordance with the new Board keen selection and their ability to enhance implimentation. The Board members were Kenyans who have lot of experience and a diversity of knowledge.

 Above is the Director, Kenya Forest Service, Mr. D. K. Mbugua as he congratulated the previous Board and their achievements. Some of the highlighted achievements were;

• Forest sector governance
• Formation of FCC(Forest Conservation Committee)
• Formation of CFA(Community Forest Associations)
• Forest Surveirance
• The stratergic plan
• Programme implimentation on forest rehabilitation
• The KFS Dressing code and;
• The performance contracting

He commented to the new Board on their priority areas mentioning them as

• Policy and Regulatory structures
• Completion of the delinking process for Kenya Forest Service
• The financing statergy to cater for the huge number of officer tobe recruited
• Mobilisation of resources for programme implementation
• Issues of timber logong and the ban
• Finalisation of the Draft Policy
• Operationazing the Forest Conservation Fund
• Preparation and operationalizion of Subsidiary Legislation and
• Improving the KFS infrastructure

The Chairman of the Board prof. Richard S. Musangi Ph D, EBS(Left) thanked the President as he gave his speech. To the right is the crowd at KFS grounds where inauguration was being done.

'I would like, first of all, to thank H.E. the President of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. Mwai Kibaki through you Sir as the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, for appointing me as the new Chairman of the Kenya Forest Service Board.  Secondly and equally important to thank you on behalf of the members of the Board of KFS for appointing us to this Board.'

All said and done, the Minister inaugurated the function and as can be seen,the keenly listening officers were being entertained by KFS choir( Left) and (Right) the full Board of Management for KFS

During the second and third day of training, the steering committee was trained on their role in the ISO 9001:2008 Certification Process. The committee also discussed the six basic international standards that any organization/company should adhere to for it to be ISO 9001:2008 certified. One of the basic standard is the control of documents. To understand better this standard, the committee members were given the task of passing round a message by whispering to the next member. Once the message reached to the last member, its original meaning had been totaly changed. From this task, the steering committee learnt the need to document each and every process in the organization. The documentation should again be clear.

The committee also went through the Quality Management Systems Requirements for ISO 9001:2008 international standards. The eight standards were interprated in details.

The eight ISO 9001:2008 standards are:-

1. Scope
2. Normative references
3. Terms and definitions
4. Quality Management System
5. Management Responsibility
6. Resource Management
7. Product Realization
8. Measurement, Analysis and improvement

KFS ISO 9001:2008 Steering Committee

The Steering Committee training shall take place at Utalii hotel for three days from 21st June 2010 to 23rd June 2010. AfriAviation Solutions Limited shall guide KFS throurg the ISO 9001:2008 Certification Process,

 thus providing the training to the KFS ISO 9001:2008 steering committee.

After the end of the training the Steering Committee shall identify what procedures need to be developed and also guide othe KFS staff Members through the KFS ISO 9001:2008 Certification Process.

       The Steering Committee listening altentively during the Training

During the first day of the training, the steering committee was taken throuhg the 8 (eight) Quality Management Principles. The Committe was also made to understand better the Process Approach to Management: This is where an output of one process/department is the input to another process/department.

The Committee was later split into groups to discuss more on Understanding Process Approach in KFS.

Some of steering Committee Members in a group discussion