By John Kariuki
In a strategic move to strengthen Kenya’s engineering sector, the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) has launched a weeklong training workshop aimed at guiding graduate engineers through the transition to Professional Engineer status. This initiative is part of the Board’s ambitious plan to register 10,000 Professional Engineers by 2027, a goal set to address the country’s critical shortage of engineers.
Speaking at the workshop, EBK Chairman, Eng. Erastus Mwongera, emphasized the importance of professional registration in filling the existing engineering gap. He noted that Kenya currently has only 4,000 registered Professional Engineers—far below the UNESCO-recommended ratio of one engineer per 5,000 people.
“The transition to Professional Engineer status enables engineers to take up greater professional responsibilities and mentor upcoming engineers. We encourage all graduate engineers to pursue this registration to enhance their career prospects and contribute to national development,” said Eng. Mwongera.
EBK Registrar and CEO, Eng. Margaret Ogai, urged participants to actively engage in engineering work and take advantage of the professional registration process. She highlighted the Board’s target of registering 600 Professional Engineers within the current fiscal year, reinforcing the Board’s commitment to building capacity in the profession.
She further noted that the Professional Engineer category enjoys international recognition and benefits from the liberalization of engineering services, opening doors to global opportunities for Kenyan engineers.
“The Board is committed to regulating the profession by overseeing practitioners, investigating unauthorized engineering activities, enforcing ethical standards, and recognizing university engineering programs—90% of which are now approved by the Board,” Eng. Ogai added.
The workshop has drawn participation from graduate engineers across various institutions, including the Kenya National Highways Authority, Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NAMATA), Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company, and Mombasa County Government.
With Kenya’s growing infrastructure demands, this initiative is a significant step towards ensuring the country has a robust pool of highly qualified engineers to drive national development. As the Board continues its mission, the push for 10,000 Professional Engineers by 2027 stands as a bold commitment to engineering excellence and capacity building in their own place.
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