Press statement on the status of the Association of Professional Societies in East Africa (APSEA)

The Association of Professional Societies in East Africa is a corporate membership organization and an umbrella body of professionals in East Africa established in 1961. We are currently made up of twenty-eight (28) corporate members and over 100,000 individual members.

These are drawn from diverse professional disciplines including Accounting, Agriculture, Arbitration, Architecture, Bankers, Chemists, Clerks of works, Dentistry, Engineering, Food science and technology, Financial Analysts, Geology, Insurance, Law, Managers, Medicine, Meteorologists, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Planning, Procurement and Supplies, Quantity Surveyors, Radiology, Radiography, Corporate Secretaries, Surveyors and Veterinary science.

Our mission is to promote high professional and ethical standards, create strategic alliances and safeguard the interest of professional societies. Our mandate is to maintain, advance and advocate for highest professional standards and ethics in public interest and to promote the interests of our members both regionally and internationally. 

APSEA has in the past worked and continues to engage closely with the government in nominating professionals to public offices. APSEA is recognized by the Constitution of Kenya 2010 Article 230 (2)(C)(iii) and several Acts of Parliament and we are mandated to nominate Professionals to the interviewing Selection Panels of Various Constitutional Commissions.  

We further reiterate that, APSEA will continue to play a more integral role in the vetting of professionals seeking to join the public service in a bid to continue with our mission to enhance integrity and ethics among all professionals. APSEA will champion the operationalization and implementation of chapter six of the constitution and other enabling laws dealing with ethics and integrity. It is in this concern that APSEA put emphasis on enforcement of the professional Code of conduct to all its corporate

members.  APSEA recognizes the ethical practice as the utmost obligation of all APSEA members because we believe our professional values are vital to the integrity of the profession as a whole.

APSEA will continue to advocate for the institutionalization of professionalism and good governance. APSEA has noted that the existing structures of handling disciplinary issues within professional associations have not been entirely effective in enforcing professional standards hence, APSEA will also lobby the various professional associations to establish effective structures and focus on re-engineering the work ethics and culture within professional bodies. 

Lastly, We as APSEA will also continue to play our part in facilitating institutional reforms and despite the many challenges we face, our resolves remains. APSEA calls for partnerships from like-minded organizations to intensify its efforts and strengthen the capacity of its professional members. 

In the last election held on 23rd May 2019 the following were elected as APSEA Officials;

1. Mr. Felix Okatch, Chairman
2. Mr. Kenneth Kariuki, Senior Vice Chairman 
3. Mr. Evan Gaturu, 2nd Vice Chairman
4. Mrs. Rosemary Njogu, Honorary Secretary
5. Dr. Nicholas Letting, Honorary Treasurer 

The positions of Assistant Honorary Secretary and Assistant Honorary Treasurer will be filled in due course. 

This is the team that will implement the APSEA mandate. 

APSEA would like to appreciate the Government of Kenya for continuously recognizing APSEA’s legislative role in vetting and nominating professionals to public offices. APSEA also wants to recognize the support received from its stakeholders who include Development partners, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce, KEPSA, EACC, Business community and other professionals who are not APSEA me