Health Sciences

Certificate in Nutrition and Dietetics

The Certificate in Nutrition and Dietetics provides foundational training in human nutrition, food science, diet therapy, community nutrition, and food service management. Students learn nutritional science, meal planning, dietary assessment, community nutrition interventions, and food safety. The programme is designed for individuals seeking entry-level positions in nutrition and health or as a pathway to further studies in nutrition and dietetics.

Students develop competencies in nutritional science, dietary assessment, meal planning, community nutrition, food service management, food safety, and nutrition education. The curriculum covers human nutrition, food science, nutrition biochemistry, diet therapy, community nutrition, food service management, nutrition education, and field attachment. Practical skills are developed through laboratory sessions and community nutrition field work.

Nutrition and dietetics is critical in Kenya's health sector, addressing malnutrition, lifestyle diseases, maternal and child nutrition, and community health challenges. Hospitals, clinics, community health organisations, schools, and food service institutions require trained nutrition personnel. The Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI) regulates the profession, creating demand for qualified nutrition personnel at all levels.

The programme combines classroom lectures with laboratory sessions, community nutrition field work, and a field attachment. Students practise dietary assessment, plan meals, conduct nutrition education, and gain hands-on experience through field attachment in health facilities or community settings. Teaching methods include lectures, laboratory sessions, field visits, and supervised attachment.

Graduates find employment as nutrition assistants, dietetics assistants, community nutrition workers, or food service assistants in hospitals, clinics, NGOs, schools, and food service establishments. The certificate also provides a pathway to diploma programmes in nutrition and dietetics at Gretsa University and other institutions, as required by KNDI for professional registration.

This programme is ideal for KCSE graduates with an interest in nutrition, health, and food science, as well as individuals seeking to enter Kenya's health sector through nutrition. The KNDI-regulated entry requirements ensure the programme meets professional standards for nutrition training in Kenya.

Duration: 1.5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 122,200
Private, up to: Ksh 84,000
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Evening and Weekend
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 25 students
Award: Certificate

What you study

10 subjects

Human Nutrition
Food Science and Technology
Nutrition Biochemistry
Diet Therapy Basics
Community Nutrition
Food Service Management
Nutrition Education and Counselling
Food Safety and Hygiene
Dietary Assessment and Meal Planning
Maternal and Child Nutrition

Modules

8 in the programme

Human Nutrition and Physiology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Human nutrition covering macronutrients, micronutrients, digestion, absorption, metabolism, and the physiological basis of nutritional requirements across the lifespan.
Food Science and Technology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Food science covering food composition, food processing, food preservation, food storage, and the nutritional impact of food processing methods.
Nutrition Biochemistry
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Nutrition biochemistry covering carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism, vitamins, minerals, and the biochemical basis of nutritional processes.
Dietary Assessment and Meal Planning
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Dietary assessment covering nutritional assessment methods, dietary surveys, meal planning, and developing nutritionally adequate meal plans for different population groups.
Diet Therapy Basics
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Diet therapy covering therapeutic diets for medical conditions including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and malnutrition, and modifying diets for clinical use.
Community Nutrition and Maternal Child Health
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Community nutrition covering community nutrition assessment, nutrition interventions, maternal and child nutrition, growth monitoring, and nutrition programmes in Kenya.
Food Service Management and Food Safety
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Food service management covering menu planning, food procurement, kitchen management, and food safety including hygiene, food handling, and HACCP principles.
Nutrition Education and Field Attachment
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Nutrition education covering counselling techniques, health communication, and behaviour change, combined with a field attachment in a health facility or community nutrition programme.

Specialisations

Clinical Nutrition
Focus on diet therapy, therapeutic diets for medical conditions, and supporting clinical nutrition services in hospitals.
Community Nutrition
Focus on community nutrition interventions, maternal and child nutrition, and public health nutrition programmes.
Food Service Management
Focus on food service operations, menu planning, food safety, and managing institutional food service.

A day as a student

A typical day combines morning lectures on nutrition science or diet therapy with afternoon laboratory sessions and community nutrition practicals. Students practise dietary assessment, plan therapeutic diets, conduct nutrition education sessions, and learn food safety procedures. Field visits to community nutrition programmes and health facilities provide practical exposure, while the field attachment semester offers hands-on experience in a health or community setting.

The trade offs

In its favour

KNDI-regulated programme meeting professional standards for nutrition training in Kenya.
High demand for nutrition personnel in Kenya's health sector addressing malnutrition and lifestyle diseases.
Provides a pathway to diploma programmes in nutrition and dietetics, which is required for KNDI professional registration.

Against it

Professional registration with KNDI requires diploma-level qualifications, meaning the certificate is a stepping stone rather than a terminal qualification.
The programme is offered at only one university, limiting accessibility.
Specific fee data is not clearly published; prospective students should contact Gretsa University directly.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 349 health sciences courses

Public118k to 122k

118k at Kenya Medical Training College (Year 2)122k at Kenya Medical Training College (Year 1)

Private58k to 84k

58k at Gretsa University84k at Nairobi Women's Hospital College

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

KMTC self-spon 122K Y1/118K Y2. Gretsa 58K, NWHC 84K/yr (kmtc.ac.ke, gretsauniversity.ac.ke, victormatara.com).

HELB loans and NGCDF bursaries are available for eligible Kenyan students. Gretsa University may offer institutional scholarships for health sciences students.

Funding options

HELB Loan
NGCDF Bursary

Scholarships

2 recorded

HELB Loan
LoanKsh 40,000Kenyan
Kenyan students enrolled in certificate programmes at chartered universities
NGCDF Bursary
BursaryKenyan
Kenyan students from respective constituencies pursuing certificate-level studies

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: D+
Alternative entry: KCSE D+ (Plus) with D+ in English/Kiswahili, Biology/Biological Sciences, Chemistry/Physical Sciences, and D+ in any one of Mathematics, Physics, Home Science, Agriculture, or General Sciences. As required by KNDI.

English/Kiswahili
D+
Biology/Biological Sciences
D+
Chemistry/Physical Sciences
D+

How you are assessed

3 components

Continuous Assessment Tests
Written examination30% of the mark
Regular CATs evaluating understanding of nutrition science, biochemistry, and diet therapy theory.
Practical Assessment
Practical assessment40% of the mark
Practical assessments evaluating dietary assessment, meal planning, food preparation, and nutrition education skills.
End of Semester Examinations and Field Attachment Report
Project30% of the mark
Final examinations and a field attachment report demonstrating applied nutrition and dietetics competencies.

Accreditation

Gretsa University is chartered by the Commission for University Education (CUE). The programme is regulated by the Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI) and offered under the School of Health Sciences.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education
AcademicRequired
Gretsa University is chartered by CUE. The programme is regulated by KNDI.
Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute
ProfessionalRequired
The programme meets KNDI training standards for nutrition and dietetics.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Nutrition Assistant
High demandKsh 18,000 to Ksh 55,000
Assists in nutrition services in hospitals, clinics, or health centres, supporting dietary assessment, meal planning, and nutrition counselling under supervision.
Dietetics Assistant
Moderate demand
Supports dietitians in hospitals or clinical settings, assisting with therapeutic diet preparation, patient nutrition assessment, and dietary service coordination.
Community Nutrition Worker
High demand
Works in community nutrition programmes, conducting nutrition education, growth monitoring, and supporting maternal and child nutrition interventions in communities.
Food Service Assistant
Moderate demand
Assists in food service management in schools, hospitals, or institutions, supporting menu planning, food preparation supervision, and food safety compliance.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates find employment as nutrition assistants, dietetics assistants, and community nutrition workers in hospitals, clinics, NGOs, and schools, with opportunities for progression to diploma programmes in nutrition and dietetics.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI) — Registration

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Nutrition is just about eating balanced meals.
Nutrition and dietetics involves biochemistry, physiology, diet therapy for medical conditions, community nutrition interventions, and food service management.
A certificate in nutrition cannot lead to employment.
Hospitals, clinics, NGOs, schools, and food service establishments employ certificate holders as nutrition and dietetics assistants, with KNDI-regulated pathways to higher qualifications.
Nutrition is only for people who want to be dietitians.
Nutrition skills are needed in public health, community development, food service, sports, education, and the food industry, not just clinical dietetics.
Nutrition careers are not well-paying in Kenya.
With KNDI registration and further qualifications, nutrition professionals earn competitive salaries in hospitals, NGOs, and the food industry.