Kenya inches closer to global engineering recognition

Chinese engineers seen working on the construction of the Nairobi Expressway from Nextgen Mall, Mombasa Road on February 2, 2021. [File, Standard]

Kenya is making significant strides towards achieving provisional signatory status under the prestigious Washington Accord. If it succeeds, the move will elevate the global standing of Kenyan engineering graduates and facilitate their practice across member countries.

The Washington Accord is an international agreement acknowledging the substantial equivalence of engineering education accreditation systems worldwide.

Kenya's progression toward this recognition underscores its commitment to aligning its engineering education with global standards. The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), established under Section 3(1) of the Engineers Act 2011, is leading this initiative.

The Act mandates the Board to regulate the engineering profession through the registration of engineers, setting of standards, and development of the profession.

Under Section 7(1)(r), it empowers EBK to collaborate with engineering training institutions, professional associations, engineering organisations, and other relevant bodies on matters related to training and professional development.

"Achieving recognition under the Washington Accord will elevate Kenya's engineering education system and bolster the global mobility of our engineers," said Registrar and CEO of Engineers Board of Kenya Eng Margaret Ogai.

A pivotal component in this journey is the Engineering Accreditation Committee (EAC), a semi-autonomous arm of EBK.

The EAC is responsible for overseeing and conducting the recognition and accreditation of engineering programs in Kenya, ensuring they meet the rigorous standards required for international recognition.

Key milestones achieved by EBK and EAC include becoming an affiliate member of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO), where in October 2022, EBK joined WFEO, enabling Kenya to garner support from member states. A critical step in Kenya's journey involves an external assessment by international nominators from the Board of Engineers Malaysia and the Pakistan Engineering Council.

Their evaluation will determine Kenya's readiness for provisional signatory status, with the final decision anticipated at the International Engineering Alliance Meeting later this year. The assessments happened last week at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at Strathmore University and on Saturday and Sunday at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology.