PRSK launches Certification programme in collabration with Daystar University

PRSK Launch L-R Prof. Levi Obonyo, Mr. Ariki Karani, Prof. Laban P. Ayiro, Mr. Mulei Muia, and Ms. Sylvia Mwichuli

Nairobi, 4^th August 2022 – The Public Relations Society of Kenya has today launched its premier certification programme dubbed Certified Public Relations Professional (CPRCP) course.

The launch event took place today at breakfast meeting held at the Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel in Nairobi.

The course, the first of its kind in East Africa, was crafted by local professors and senior practitioners with the African Public Relations Practitioner in mind. The programme is a key component of the proposed Institute of Public Relations and Communications Management (IPRAC) Bill, which is currently awaiting approval by parliament.

With the pilot programme being offered in partnership with Daystar University, this course brings PRSK a step closer in its bid to professionalize the industry by producing practitioners with the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes to work successfully as managers, consultants and entrepreneurs locally and internationally.

Speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of ICT and Broadcasting, Ms Esther Koimett, Mr. Mulei Muia stated, “The passage of the Bill will be a game-changer for PR and Communications professionals as it will provide a proper regulatory framework for their profession and contribute to growth of their careers”. She also added that the course is a step in the right direction. “The launch of the certification programme is an excellent first step to ensuring the profession is guided as it will enhance professional practical competencies and provide and propagate the nurturing of professional skills. I know with this in the offing, the PR profession will grow to greater heights.”

While the PR profession and industry are growing phenomenally in the country and globally, there are no local professional qualifications offered in Kenya. Most practitioners in Kenya have had to study for professional qualifications offered by foreign bodies. Most of which are quite expensive and therefore inaccessible to most Kenyans. “This programme was crafted to address this problem while at the same time strengthening the stature of the public relations profession in the country,” PRSK President, Arik Karani said during his speech. “This programme will give PR professionals a competitive advantage with their peers in other affiliate professions even as we continue to push for legislation recognition through the Bill,” he added.

In a statement from Dublin, Ireland, the President and CEO of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management (GA), the confederation of the world's PR and communication associations, institutions and academics in the world, Mr. Justin Green, expressed his delight at the launch of the course noting that Kenya is taking the African market by a storm terming the move a “Gamechanger” in the PR and Communications landscape in Kenya and in Africa.

“We exist to serve the needs of our members and with this programme out, Kenya will not only be at the forefront of leading and shaping Africa’s PR and Communications narrative, but I foresee bodies like International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) coming to benchmark with their Kenyan counterpart putting the course on the global scene.” He added.

Mr. Green also urged the Kenyan law makers, and the Ministry of ICT to support the enactment of the proposed Institute of Public Relations and Communication Management draft bill when it is tabled in Parliament. He pledged to work with Mr. Karani and Daystar to market the CPRP Course on the GA platforms.

Prof Laban Ayiro, The Vice Chancellor Daystar University also noted during his speech that he will ensure that the students who enrol for this course get the best. “I urge authentication in our approach to this programme. I want to see some values enshrined therein that will ensure the students get the full Daystar Experience,” he said.

The programme has three semesters in a year and its exams will be administered by KASNEB. This will be the first milestone for the newly elected PRSK leadership.

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About PRSK

PRSK was established in 1971 and serves as the umbrella professional body guiding PR practice in Kenya. The Society, which has over 3,000 members, broadly seeks to advance excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management in Kenya and to ensure that the practice continues to thrive within the ethical framework defined by the profession. PRSK is a member of the East African Public Relations Association (EAPRA) and the Africa Public Relations Association (APRA), the continental body for all PR national associations in Africa.  At the global level, PRSK is a founder member of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management (GA) among other global bodies such as the International Public Relations Association (IPRA).

About Daystar University

Daystar University is a Christ-centred non-denominational institution of higher learning which exists to equip Christian servant leaders for the transformation of church and society. Founded in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, as Daystar Publications in 1964, the institution was moved to Kenya in 1971 and registered as Daystar Communications, a non-profit organization in 1973 offering a five-week International Institute for Christian Communication (IICC) course. In 1976, Daystar Communications started a two-year post-high school diploma programme in Christian Communications, followed by a two-year M.A programme in Christian Communication and Christian Ministries in 1978, in collaboration with Wheaton College in Illinois, USA.