Page 12 - Engineering in Kenya Mag

Engineers urged to confront
critical challenges to stay Kafloat in a changing world
ENYAN engineers joined the world on March 4, 2021 to celebrate this year’s World Engineering Day for
Sustainable Development with keynote speeches and presentations from guests and other participants.
This year’s theme was ‘Engineering for A Healthy Planet – Celebrating the UNESCO Engineering Report’, which focused on celebrating the launch of the second UNESCO Engineering Report titled Engineering for Sustainable Development: Delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals. The report was launched in the afternoon by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) and attended by local engineers.
Mr James Macharia, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works, who was the chief guest at the celebrations held at the University of Nairobi’s Chandaria Hall, said the engineering profession in Kenya must confront critical engineering challenges for it to remain relevant in a changing world.
The CS said in its bid to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Kenya’s Vision 2030, the country is implementing various key development projects under his ministry, but for which there is no
IEK Council members at the launch of Engineering in Kenya magazine during World Engineering Day celebrations at the University of Nairobi.
adequate engineering manpower. “There is a shortage of qualified engineers in Kenya as too few of them transition from graduate engineers to professional engineers,” said Mr
Macharia.
“The country urgently needs
all licensed and professionally competent engineers to build the infrastructure, offices, homes and factories that are required for it to fulfill its vision of becoming an industrialized economy.”
He noted that there is a declining interest in the profession that needs to be urgently addressed. This declining interest has led to an alarming drop in the enrolment of young people in engineering disciplines in Kenyan universities and colleges.
“The engineering profession urgently needs to come up with innovative ways of attracting and retaining the attention and interest of today’s young men and women,” said the CS.
Some of the key projects the government is currently undertaking or are complete include construction and rehabilitation of 10,000km roads, the Standard Gauge Railway, revamping of the existing meter gauge railway network, modernizing aviation facilities, expansion of the Port of Mombasa, bus rapid transit system in Nairobi, the Nairobi Expressway, the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project, among others.
“The engineering profession is
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Engineering in Kenya Magazine Issue 002
WORLD ENGINEERING DAY