Engineering technology key to achieving Kenya’s long-term development
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Engineering Technologists on Wednesday held a procession in Eldoret city and its environs to celebrate 10 years since the enactment of the Engineering Technology Act, 2016, underscoring its importance in realizing the country’s long-term development.
They were led by The Institution of Engineering Technology of Kenya (IET-K) President Bibiye Mahmoud Juma who commended the sector as a critical driver of Kenya’s industrialization agenda and would play a central role in implementing the country’s development aspirations beyond Vision 2030.
Speaking during the 10th anniversary celebrations since the enactment of the legislation, Juma said the government should move with speed to constitute the regulatory board and facilitate the enactment of the necessary regulations.
The Engineering technologists and technicians called on the Government to urgently appoint the board of their regulatory body, saying the prolonged absence of the board is hampering the growth of the sector and undermining efforts to enhance public safety.
The IET-K president highlighted that engineering technologists, technicians, craftspeople and artisans were at the heart of the country’s economic transformation, particularly in industrialization, infrastructure development and innovation.
“We are the drivers of this economy and the ones who will ensure that we move forward in terms of industrialization and our vision beyond 2030,” she noted.
She warned that gaps in regulation and professional oversight could have serious implications for public safety, citing building collapses and disruptions in essential services as examples of challenges that require stronger engineering standards and professional accountability.
She recalled that the sector had at one point gone for more than three years without a regulatory board, resulting in a lapse in the registration of professionals and slowing the development of the industry.
She appealed to the Ministry of Roads and Transport to ensure that the board is appointed without further delay.
“We request the CS to ensure that we get our board the soonest for us to be able to have the standards set, professionals work and ensure public safety in our country,” said Juma.
Dr. Cecilia Ngetich, who said she played a key role in shepherding the Bill through Parliament until its enactment, said the legislation had provided a home for professionals who had previously operated without a comprehensive regulatory framework.
She said the establishment of the Kenya Engineering Technology Registration Board had enabled the sector to register about 15,000 members, although the number could have been higher had there been no interruptions in the board’s operations.
Ngetich said the absence of a board for several years meant that many graduates who should have been registered could not do so.
She joined the IET-K president in calling for the board to be put in place, saying continued registration and regulation of professionals was necessary to guarantee competence and protect the public.
Ngetich also challenged the construction and other industries to engage qualified and certified professionals instead of opting for cheap labour.
She said employing unqualified personnel in areas such as masonry and electrical installation could compromise safety and contribute to failures in infrastructure.
“Cheap is usually very expensive,” she cautioned, urging employers to verify the qualifications of technicians and other professionals before engaging their services.
On his part, Prof. Charles Ondieki, former Honorary Treasurer and Council member for IET-K, called for greater government investment in technical and vocational education and training, arguing that no country could achieve meaningful economic development without a strong technical workforce.
He said Kenya should consider giving greater prominence to the technical sector within government, noting that countries in Southeast Asia had placed technical skills and small and medium enterprises at the centre of their economic transformation.
He also called for closer collaboration between engineers and engineering technologists, saying the two cadres should work together rather than operate in isolation.
According to him, stronger collaboration would improve the quality of projects and help address failures such as collapsing buildings.
He said Kenya had moved beyond the stage of debating the importance of the sector and should now concentrate on implementing policies that would strengthen engineering technology.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
Reporting originally appeared via Kenya News Agency. Read the full source for additional context.