KEBS CEOs Breakfast Meeting 2026 Champions Business Excellence

By Steve El Sabai

NAIROBI 

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) brought together the country’s top business leaders at the CEOs Breakfast Meeting 2026, themed “Driving Business Excellence Through Management Systems: The CEO Imperative – From Consistency to Impact”. The gathering provided a platform for executives to explore how globally recognized standards can drive organizational growth, resilience, and competitiveness.
In her keynote address, Esther Ngari, Managing Director of KEBS, described the participants as the vanguard of Kenyan industry. “Every organization represented here has made a deliberate choice not just to build businesses, but to build institutions that operate to globally recognized standards of excellence,” she said. Ngari highlighted that choosing to pursue ISO certification reflects a commitment to leadership, resilience, and long-term success.

The Cabinet Secretary for Trade Hon Lee Kinyanjui speeches  delivered in absentia,  by Mr. Erastus Gatebe, Industrialization Secretary. The speech emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting industry through standards, market access, and regulatory frameworks, and highlighted that adherence to management systems is key to unlocking Kenya’s potential in regional and global trade.
“The global business environment is unforgiving,” Ngari noted. “Supply chain disruptions, climate volatility, geopolitical tensions, and increasingly discerning global consumers are everyday realities.
Organizations that thrive amid these challenges share one defining characteristic: resilience. And resilience is architected, starting with strong management systems.”

The breakfast meeting featured a high-level panel discussion with top executives who shared insights on translating standards into tangible business results. Mr. Wycliffe Shamiah, CEO of the Capital Markets Authority, explained how adherence to standards fosters investor confidence and strengthens market credibility, driving sustainable growth. Mr. Colm Healy, COO of Capwell Group of Industries, highlighted the practical benefits of implementing management systems in manufacturing, noting improved efficiency, higher product quality, and operational consistency.

Ms. Carolyne Outa, ISO/CASCO Chair, emphasized the global significance of standards, pointing out that organizations aligned with international benchmarks gain recognition and competitiveness worldwide. Dr. Jane Njuguna, CEO of KEFRI, shared how research institutions can harness standards to streamline operations, foster innovation, and deliver better outcomes.

Ngari further underscored the strategic importance of key ISO frameworks, including ISO 9001 Quality Management, ISO 14001 Environmental Management, ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety, ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security, ISO 22301 Business Continuity, ISO 30401 Knowledge Management, and ISO 22000 Food Safety. She described these standards not as isolated requirements, but as pillars of an integrated architecture of excellence that, when implemented together, create organizations that are quality-driven, environmentally responsible, people-centered, digitally secure, knowledge-powered, and globally competitive.

She also stressed that the effectiveness of management systems ultimately depends on leadership. “Clause 5 of every ISO standard begins with Leadership and Commitment. Top management must champion the culture of excellence. CEOs are the single greatest variable in whether certification becomes a living, value-generating system or remains a framed piece of paper,” Ngari said.
Organizations that embed standards into their operations do more than achieve efficiency and consistency. They build resilience, inspire trust, and position themselves as leaders in both local and global markets. When CEOs champion excellence from the top, they strengthen their institutions while elevating Brand Kenya, ensuring that the country’s products and services consistently meet and exceed international expectations. 

By embracing standards as a strategic tool, Kenyan businesses are shaping their own success while laying the foundation for a sustainable, competitive, and globally recognized business landscape.

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