Football Kenya Federation has released a clear pathway to be taken by local coaches seeking to attain formal qualifications in the field.
According to guidelines issued by the local football governing body this week, coaching qualifications have been categorised into three pathways, namely junior, youth and senior.
Those seeking to attain formal credentials at the junior level will be expected to complete a 60-hour introductory certificate in basic skills which will absorb a maximum of 35 participants at a go.
Participants who satisfy the examiners at this level will thereafter be selected to pursue a 60-hour FKF D Diploma course that will last for 80 hours. The final step in the category will be the Basic and Advanced courses that will require participants to sit in class a whole 120 hours for successful completion.
Coaches eyeing the youth category will begin from the FKF D Diploma level, proceed to a Basic and Advanced Diploma before finally undertaking a 120-hour Caf C license. Whereas all the other stages in this category can only accommodate a class of 35 participants, only 30 will proceed to pursue the Caf C license.
The Senior category will kick off with a class of 35 participants who will undertake the FKF D Diploma. Thirty of them will progress through to the Caf C Diploma stage but only after practicing coaching for a minimum of six months. The number will be reduced further to 25 with those picked given a chance to pursue a Caf B Diploma for 160 hours.
They will, however, be required to practice coaching for at least one season. The same group will progress to Caf A which will require 240 hours in class only after they practice coaching for two seasons.
Among 20 participants will then be picked from the class to pursue a Caf PRO, the highest qualification in coaching. In a circular FKF released to clubs last week, coaches seeking to guide clubs in the top flight and second tier leagues must first attain a minimum qualification of a Caf C license.
