The Institute of Trade Standards Administration (Kenya) (ITSA(K)) was founded in 1973 in Nairobi as a professional body for legal metrologists, and its purpose was to examine and certify personnel for appointment as Inspectors of Weights and Measures as well as manage professionalism in the field of legal metrology in the country. It is a non-profit making organization solely set up to manage professionalism. Before its inception, Inspectors of Weights and Measures were trained and examined by the Institute of Trading Standards Administration in the UK. The trainees had to be flown to the UK for the four-year training. The ITSA (K) was therefore modelled on the same principle as the British system.
The Institute continued its mandate of examination and certification of persons to be appointed inspectors of Weights and Measures as well management of professionalism until 1996 when it took on an additional role of examination and certification of private sector technicians for competence in servicing weighing and measuring instruments for use in trade. This certification forms the basis for their licensing by the Department of Weights and Measures as legal metrology technicians under various licence types. Both curricula for inspectors and the technicians are administered by the Department of Weights and Measures.
The Institute having noted performance challenges in the technicians’ examinations, and noting the gaps in preparation for the candidates, especially theoretical background, introduced a training component to address the gaps in theoretical background.
Since its inception the Institute has examined and certified 200 persons for appointment as Inspectors of Weights and Measures and about 1000 Persons for licensing as legal metrology technicians.