Women engineers urged to lead Kenya's innovation drive

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Women engineers have been urged to take the lead in developing innovative solutions to Kenya's biggest challenges, including affordable housing, clean energy, climate resilience and artificial intelligence.

Speaking on behalf of First Lady Rachel Ruto during the Second Women Engineers Summit in Nakuru, her Chief of Staff Mary Mwende said the country needed more women to help shape engineering solutions that improve lives and drive sustainable development.

"The future is not something we inherit. It is something we engineer," she said. She said Kenya's ambitions in affordable housing, food security, universal access to clean energy and digital transformation would only be realised through engineering innovation.

"As AI advances, as smart cities emerge, as robotics reshape industries and as data becomes the world's new currency, do not only ask, 'What can technology do for our profession?' Ask, 'What should technology do for society?' Because innovation without humanity is incomplete."

Her remarks come at a time when women remain significantly underrepresented in the profession. According to the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), women account for about 11 to 14 per cent of registered engineers, despite increasing efforts to encourage girls to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.

The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) caretaker committee chairperson Hillary Nyaanga said the country cannot achieve its development agenda without a strong and inclusive engineering workforce.

"Our growing cities require well-planned transport, housing, water, sanitation, energy and digital systems. These outcomes will depend not only on investment but also on the quality of engineering judgement applied at every stage," he said.

Nyaanga said the engineering profession must strengthen ethical standards, continuous professional development and collaboration between universities, industry and government to prepare engineers for emerging challenges. He added that increasing women's participation was essential to strengthening the profession.

"Inclusion is not separate from excellence. It is one of the conditions for excellence. When women engineers advance into leadership and influence major technical decisions, the profession gains capacity and the country gains better solutions."

Outgoing IEK Women Engineers Committee chairperson Jennifer Gache said the profession continues to struggle with low female participation, noting that fewer women are enrolling in STEM courses despite making up nearly half of university students. "Less than 14 per cent of women are enrolled in STEM courses. That is why we invest in mentorship from primary school through university and into professional practice."