Mombasa: The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to strengthening the country’s capacity to realize her development agenda towards the envisaged first-world status by 2055. EBK Chief Executive Officer Eng. Margaret Obai stated that the country’s bold vision of attaining first-world status is heavily anchored on robust infrastructure development, placing engineers at the centre of this transformative journey.
According to Kenya News Agency, Eng. Obai emphasized the importance of engineering as both a profession and a practice in Kenya, drawing inspiration from countries like China and South Korea, where engineering capability has significantly driven national progress. Eng. Obai noted that Kenya currently boasts 77 accredited engineering programmes, commending institutions of higher learning for meeting the required standards. She also highlighted that EBK has addressed the challenge of universities offering unaccredited programmes, achieving 100 per cent qualification of graduates joining EBK as graduate engineers.
Engineers were encouraged to explore the vast, largely untapped opportunities within the Blue Economy sector. Speaking during a mentorship programme with engineering students at the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) ahead of the 7th Engineering Partnerships Convention, Eng. Obai described the maritime sector as a promising frontier that both emerging and experienced engineers have yet to fully exploit, despite its immense potential. She stressed that with the right skills, innovation, and investment, the sector could significantly drive economic growth and open up new professional opportunities.
The CEO further underscored EBK’s inclusive approach, noting that no student is being left behind. The board currently has 22,000 registered graduate engineers, alongside 30,000 professional and consulting engineers. However, the number of marine engineers remains low at just 50. Eng. Obai attributed this gap to the distinct licensing regime governed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
She revealed that EBK has initiated negotiations with the IMO to establish Mutual Recognition Agreements with major shipping nations such as South Korea and Singapore to facilitate employment opportunities for Kenyan marine engineers. Eng. Obai expressed optimism about exporting Kenya’s engineering expertise, pointing out countries like the Philippines, which has over 100,000 engineers practicing abroad, as a model for potential growth.
Engineering students praised the EBK mentorship initiative, describing it as an eye-opening experience that exposed them to a wide range of career opportunities after graduation. Fadhlun Athman Ali, a Mechanical Engineering student at the Technical University of Mombasa, shared how the mentorship programme inspired her career path switch from medicine to engineering while still in secondary school.
Jacob Juma, Chairperson of the Engineering Students Association at TUM, called for the mentorship sessions to be held after every semester to benefit more students. He expressed gratitude for the programme, which provided valuable insights on transitioning from a student member to a consulting engineer. Fatma Mahmoud, a third-year Mechanical Engineering student, also shared that the session helped her understand the professional journey after graduation, learning about the registration and qualification process for engineers.
