Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is KNDI (Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute)?
The Kenya Nutritionists & Dieticians Institute (KNDI) was established as regulator of the profession of nutrition and dietetics in Kenya by an Act of parliament No. 18, 2007 (Cap 253B) to: provide for training, registration and licensing of nutritionists and dieticians; provide for the registration of the standards, and practice of the profession; ensure their effective participation in matters relating to nutrition, dietetics and for related purposes.
2. Is KNDI a professional association?
KNDI is a not a professional association. Nutrition professional associations are welfare groups registered under registrar of societies to engage in nutrition and dietetics matters of interest to the group. Such association activities are regulated by KNDI and their members must be compliant with KNDI rules and regulations. Any nutritionists or dietician is free to join any registered association at will. However, all members of professional association must be registered and licensed by KNDI to engage in matters related to nutrition and dietetics profession in Kenya.
3. Who is a member of KNDI?
A KNDI member is a duly registered as nutritionist/dietician or nutritionist, dietician, nutrition technologist, dietician technologist or nutrition and dietetics technician.
4. Who is a compliant member of KNDI?
A KNDI member is a duly registered and licensed to practice as nutritionist/dietician or nutritionist, dietician, nutrition technologist, dietician technologist or nutrition and dietetics technician.
5. Who is a non-compliant member of KNDI?
A KNDI member is a duly registered but not licensed to practice as nutritionist/dietician or nutritionist, dietician, nutrition technologist, dietician technologist or nutrition and dietetics technician within a financial year but still retained in the registered pending disciplinary verdict.
6. What offense do I commit when I employ a non-professional who is not licensed by KNDI?
Any person who employs another person as a nutritionist or dietician while that other person is not registered or licensed under this Act, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of not less than five hundred thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a term of not less than three years, or to both. Section 35 of Nutritionists and Dieticians Act, No. 18, 2007)
7. Who is a legally employable nutritionist or dietician?
A KNDI member is a duly registered and licensed to practice as nutritionist/dietician or nutritionist, dietician, nutrition technologist, dietician technologist or nutrition and dietetics technician.
8. Who qualifies for registration under the Act?
Any graduate of certificate, diploma and degree who has undertaken KNDI recognized programme from a KNDI recognized training institution.
Recognized programme are:
i. All graduates of old programmes related to nutrition and dietetics undertaken before the year 2016. Such include BSc. Home Science and Technology; BSc. Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics; BSc. Food Science and Nutrition. Such shall be registered as Nutritionist/Dietician.
ii. Graduates of new certificate and diploma programmes in nutrition and dietetics who have passed relevant professional licenses; graduates BSc. in nutrition and dietetics who have gone through a one (1) year KNDI supervised internship programme from a recognized internship centre and publicly awarded relevant licenses in a public graduation ceremony after reciting nutritionists and dieticians’ professional oath, receiving a copy and signing KNDI code of ethics document. Degree graduates shall be registered as: Clinical Nutritionist; Clinical Dietician; Public Health Nutritionist; Community Nutritionists; Food Service Diet Therapist; Food Science Nutrition depending on their internship orientation.
iii. Graduate of other relevant degree programmes including BSc. Agriculture and Home Economics and BEd. Home Science Economics, Biochemistry, Nursing, Medicine (i.e. BSc and BA) who have undertaken a masters or PhD degree in nutrition sciences from a recognized university in Kenya and beyond. Such graduates will be registered upon demonstration of research and teaching engagement as: Nutrition Scientist; Dietician Scientist; Public Health Nutrition Scientist etc. depending on their orientation. Individuals with background of Food Science and technology and other relevant degrees to nutrition without additional academic qualifications at certificate, diploma and degree shall be registered as nutrition associates and shall not be allowed to practice. Such shall participate in nutrition service delivery under supervision of a qualified nutritionists or dietician.
9. Who qualifies to be licensed to practice as a nutritionists or dietician?
All professionals registered under 8 (i) and 8(ii) who are fully paid up and have attained their annual minimum of 14CPD points.
10. How do I renew membership of KNDI to remain compliant?
Renewals will be made on 1st of July of every financial year. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Points records shall be required.
11. Who should train a nutritionist or dietician or both?
Only an institution or professional fully recognized by KNDI. Recognition includes licensing of institutions and professionals.
12. What is the minimum qualification to join a nutrition and dietetics programme in Kenya?
i. For Diploma and Certificate kindly obtain the KICD curriculum for Diploma and Certificate in nutrition and dietetics.
Certificate Require:
Mean grade of (D) (plain) and Subject clusters are as follows: English (D), biology/biological Sciences (D), and Chemistry/Physical Sciences (D)
Other subjects – D Physics, Maths, Home science and Agriculture
Diploma Require:
Mean grade of C - (Minus) and Subject clusters are as follows: English (D+), Biology/Biological Sciences (D+), and Chemistry/Physical Sciences (D+)
Other subjects – Physics (D), Maths (D), Home science and Agriculture (D)
ii. Degree Require: Mean grade of C+ (Plus) and Subject clusters are as follows: Chemistry (C+), Biology (C+), English/Kiswahili (C+) and Mathematics/physics (C+) OR Diploma certificate in Nutrition and Dietetics from a KNDI accredited facilities.
iii. Other minimum guidelines are in the jurisdiction of colleges and universities.
13. How do I register as a foreign trained nutritionist or dietician who is a Kenyan Citizen?
All foreign students who are Kenyans or East African citizens will pay equivalent registration fees paid by Kenyans. However, their academic certificates and transcripts will be having a supporting letter from Commission for University Education. Professional indexing, internship and subsequent professional examination shall apply for such students.
14. Which is a KNDI recognized training institution?
Any training institution on valid interim license or fully licensed. Any institution with expired licenses is not recognized and students from such institutions will not be recognized or accepted to enroll for post-graduate professional programmes upon graduation.
15. What do you risk when you train in an institution not recognized by KNDI?
You risk not being registered and licensed to practice as nutritionists of dietician professional.
16. Does KNDI indemnify professionals?
KNDI indemnifies professionals who encounter professional related faults while acting professionally. Such professionals must be fully compliant.
17. What is the difference between a nutritionist and dieticians in Kenya?
“Nutritionist” means a person who has undergone professional training at degree level with a bias in nutrition and is so registered by KNDI.
“Nutritional technician” means a person who has undergone professional training at certificate level with a bias in nutrition and is so registered by KNDI.
“Nutritional technologist” means a person who has undergone professional training at diploma level with a bias in nutrition and is so registered by KNDI
“Dietician” means a person who has undergone professional training at degree level with a bias in dietetics and is so registered by KNDI.
“Dietetic technologist” means a person who has undergone professional training at diploma level with a bias in dietetics and is so registered by KNDI
“Dietetic technician” means a person who has undergone professional training at certificate level with a bias in dietetics and is so registered by KNDI.
18. Who is eligible for internship?
Kindly check internship guideline www.kndi.institute
19. Who is eligible for professional examination?
To be eligible for the KNDI professional examinations one must have:
Indexed during their study (Certificate/ Diploma/ Degree) in nutrition and dietetics in a KNDI accredited institution
They should have passed the final examination in the accredited institution and graduated
Degree candidates must have gone through the 1 year supervised internship program or met the requirements for exemption from internship as prescribed by KNDI.
20. Who is exempted from Internship programme?
All graduates who completed their degree from a recognized KNDI institution before the 2013.
All Diploma upgrades who have worked for more than 5 years. (This category MUST be indexed and undertake professional examination which shall include both written and oral examination)
All graduates of 2014 (This category MUST be indexed and undertake professional examination which shall include both written and oral examination)
21. Which are KNDI recognized internship Centers in 2017?
Kindly check: https://www.kndi.institute/list/internship_list.php
21. Who must undertake professional examination?
Any graduates of the year 2014 onwards who meet eligibility criteria for examination.
22. When are KNDI professional exams offered?
Bi-annually within the Month of June (Diploma and certificate) and the month of November (certificate, diploma and degree)
23. Who is a KNDI faculty member?
A compliant holder of Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Science in any of the six disciplines of nutrition and dietetics from a recognized University engaged by KNDI to supervise interns on the Internship programme.
24. Who is a KNDI preceptor?
A facility-based supervisor of interns fully registered nutritionist or dietician (mainly a holder of a minimum of degree) who is compliant with KNDI professional licensing requirements.
25. Who is a Clinical Nutrition instructor?
A clinical oriented fully registered nutritionist or dietician (mainly holders of a minimum of degree) who is compliant with KNDI professional licensing requirements engaged by training institutions to supervise clinical practicum for nutrition and dietetics students within a hospital environment.
26. Who is a Nutrition /Dietetics Private Practioner?
Any professional registered under 8 (i) and 8(ii) who are fully paid up and have attained their annual minimum of 14 CPD points alongside a minimum of two years’ work experience under a qualified experienced licensed professional operating under partnership, cooperation and company’s name registered by registrar of businesses evidence by certificate of cooperation.
27. How does KNDI help professionals to acquire relevant jobs?
KNDI trains and develop a pool of professionals to sell to employers. KNDI creates an enabling environment for employment opportunities of licensed professionals by weeding out quacks in the employment market. KNDI also does advocate and create awareness to prospective employers on the need to employ qualified Nutritionists and Dieticians.
28. Must diploma holders who register for degree programme go through a four-year programme or can they begin their programme in second year?
All diploma holders must go through a four-year degree programme in university. There shall be no credit transfer from a diploma to degree. Credit waiver only occurs within level. For example, university X can transfer units of a diploma from university Y already covered by a student. Transfers can only happen horizontally within certificate, diploma and degree.
29. What is student Professional indexing?
A process of gathering information on an individual student pursuing a course in nutrition
and/or dietetics for purposes of monitoring and subsequent registration with KNDI
30. Why Professional indexing of students is mandatory and of what benefit is it to me as a student?
Important as a prerequisite for professional examination and Internship programme
31. How much should I pay to be indexed as a developing professional?
Professional indexing fee includes:
• Ksh. 6,000 for examination
• Ksh. 2,000 indexing
• Ksh. 2,000 Package - scope of practice, code of ethics, service charter.
Note:
1. If done within the first month of admission the total cost remains Ksh. 10,000
2. If done after graduation the total cost shall be Ksh. 15,000 with cumulative period penalty
3. Professional indexing has nothing to do with University and it is a responsibility of a potential professional student for purposes of future registration and Licensure.
32. Why is it important to register institutions that handle food and supplementary foodstuffs?
Its KNDI’s Legal mandate under Section 36(2) of Cap 253B.
1. To ensure traceability of all foods from the point of production to the consumer, this is because the quality of food is affected right from the production point through the entire chain of distribution.
2. To build consumer confidence in the foods on the market.
33. What are training standards for training institutions in nutrition and dietetics?
There are eleven training standards for training institutions:
1. Standards related to educators/faculty
2. Standards related to students
3. Standards related to governance, leadership and management structures of the training institutions
4. Standards on physical infrastructure and clinical resources at the training institutions
5. Standards on materials and equipment used in the delivery of the courses
6. Standards on curriculum taught at the institution
7. Standards related to clinical practice
8. Institutions quality management systems
9. Standards on programme monitoring and evaluation
10. Standards on examination process
11. Standards on training institutions research policy
Each institution that applies for certification always get the training standard document.
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Cap 253B
An Act of Parliament to provide for the training, registration and licensing of nutritionists and dieticians; to provide for the regulation of the standards, and practice of the profession; to ensure their effective participation in matters relating to nutrition and dietetics, and for connected purposes
[Act No. 18 of 2007, L.N. 130/2008.]