Eng. Margaret Ogai on Transformation, Capacity, and Challenges of Kenya’s Engineering Industry

Last Updated 3 weeks ago by Kenya Engineer

Engineering has long been at the heart of global infrastructure and technological progress, and Kenya’s engineering community is no exception. From monumental projects like the Standard Gauge Railway and Super Highways to cutting-edge high-rise buildings and new industries, Kenyan engineers continue to shape the nation’s development. However, while these achievements are celebrated, the industry still faces significant challenges—building collapses, safety concerns, funding struggles, and capacity limitations. Against the backdrop of a promising partnership with Lloyd’s Register Foundation, Kenya Engineer sat down with Eng. Margaret Ogai, the CEO and Registrar of the Engineers’ Board of Kenya (EBK), to discuss the state of the engineering sector and her vision for the future.

Her Journey “I started my journey over 30 years ago at the University of Nairobi, where I studied Civil Engineering. Over the years, I’ve worked for three agencies and began my career in the private sector with three consulting engineering firms. I initially focused on water structures, then moved into roads. In my last role, I was a roads engineer before joining the Kenya Roads Board as a manager in the planning department, overseeing road maintenance plans. I spent about 18 years there, and I always say that’s where I spent a large part of my career.

Three and a half years ago, I joined the Engineers Board of Kenya as the Registrar and CEO, and I’ve held that role since then.”

Her Top Priorities as CEO of EBK “As a board, we have a clear vision and mission. Our priority is to build capacity, especially by registering 10,000 new engineers in the coming years. Currently, we have about 27,000 engineers on record, but only 4,000 are professional engineers who hold the title ‘Engineer’ and are licensed to independently offer full engineering services. The others can still work in the field, but they are not authorized to submit official documents such as drawings, calculations, or reports. These responsibilities are reserved for the professional engineers.

The target to register 10,000 more engineers aligns with UNESCO’s recommended ratio of one engineer for every 5,000 people in an economy. With Kenya’s population of about 50 million, reaching this goal will significantly improve our engineering capacity. We’re working towards this by organizing workshops for graduate engineers to prepare for their professional exams. These workshops are held in collaboration with employers in both the public and private sectors, and we also offer continuous professional development (CPD) programs to ensure our engineers stay competitive.

Another key priority is to join the Washington Accord, which recognizes engineering qualifications globally. Currently, only three African countries are signatories, and we hope to become the fourth. Being a signatory would allow Kenyan engineers to practice internationally, which would be a significant boost for their mobility and opportunities.

I’m personally passionate about building capacity for Africa to bring about the much-needed transformation. Our human development indicators are some of the lowest globally, and engineering can play a pivotal role in improving these conditions.”

Safety, Collapsing Buildings, and Compliance by Engineers in Kenya “As a regulatory body, our role is to ensure that engineering work meets established standards. In the public sector-driven infrastructure projects, compliance with these standards is generally high. However, when it comes to buildings—particularly those driven by the private sector—compliance is often lacking.

We’ve observed many instances of unsafe practices, which we’re working to address by engaging with developers and county governments, who approve the drawings and supervise the work. We collaborate closely with the National Construction Authority and BORACs (the regulatory body for architects and quantity surveyors), and we’ve formed a multi-agency team to identify and close these gaps.

A particular concern is the practice of developers using an engineer’s credentials to get a project approved, but without the engineer actually overseeing the work. To address this, we are developing a project registration portal where engineers will be required to list all projects they’re involved in. This will allow us to track whether an engineer or firm is taking on more work than they can handle, which could indicate that they’re simply providing documentation for approval without being directly involved in the project.

We also have internal disciplinary procedures for engineers who are found culpable. We’ve had cases where engineers were not properly supervising projects they were contracted for. One key factor is ensuring that engineers, who oversee projects, can also assess the quality of materials and ensure they meet the necessary standards. If an engineer is doing their job properly, they will catch issues early on and prevent disasters.

Another ongoing challenge is the low adherence to OSHA safety standards in some engineering practices. We are working with engineering schools through the Council of Deans to incorporate safety protocols into the curriculum and ensure safety is emphasized in all CPD programs. We still face a significant number of accidents, which we’re committed to reducing.”

On Engineering Education and Training “We run a CPD program to help engineers stay up to date with the latest technologies and trends. But we also want to expand by creating a dedicated school of engineering. Right now, we curate programs internally, but we are looking to partner with other institutions to develop focused programs.

Kenya has invested heavily in the education and skills development of engineers, with over 37,000 trained engineers. We’ve contributed significantly to engineering projects both locally and abroad. As the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) comes into effect, we want to position our engineers to take advantage of opportunities in regions suffering from a shortage of qualified engineers.

The Kenya School of Engineering will serve a similar role as the Kenya School of Government or the Kenya School of Law, providing practical, hands-on training to engineers. We find that while engineers may be skilled in design, many lack expertise in project management, contract management, and emerging technologies. Our aim is to offer programs that address these gaps and work with partners to ensure the programs are relevant and globally competitive.

For example, in the energy sector, we want to offer a graduate engineer program where engineers can learn practical skills like dismantling or assembling transformers. There are areas like compliance and technical investigations where certified engineers need specific training. We are looking to curate these programs in line with current market needs.”

On Accreditation “In the past three years, we’ve accredited around 34 engineering programs in Kenyan universities. However, a change in the law caused some issues, as universities felt professional bodies’ involvement in the accreditation process was too costly and disruptive. As a result, the Commission for University Education (CUE) took over the accreditation process. While we didn’t have direct input, we continued to apply our standards.

In the last three years, we’ve managed to accredit over 90% of the engineering programs in Kenya. We’re also working on a joint accreditation framework with the CUE. We have programs for emerging fields like biomedical engineering, mining engineering, and mechatronics, and we’re continuously collaborating with universities to ensure their programs align with industry standards.”

On Women in Engineering “Women engineers make up about 10-12% of all registered engineers in Kenya, though we’re seeing an improvement. Today, about 30% of engineering students in universities are women, and we’re confident this percentage will continue to rise.

To all women engineers and female engineering students, I encourage you to show up, every time. I recently spoke at the University of Nairobi during World Engineering Day celebrations, and I shared how, 35 years ago, I never imagined that I would one day be addressing an audience of professors, engineers, and industry leaders in my current role. Just showing up and staying the course can make all the difference.”

Challenges “There are several challenges, including inadequate resources to match our mandate. As a board, we don’t have enough budget or staff, but we try to overcome this through partnerships.

The slow pace of policy support is another challenge. It often takes a long time for parliament to make necessary amendments.

On a personal level, there are times when the work-life balance feels disproportionate, and occasionally there are attitudes that undermine the authority of women in leadership. But we take it in stride. Over time, I’ve proven myself, and I’ve gained confidence from the support of my peers, including serving as the honorary secretary of the Institute of Engineers of Kenya.”

Engineering Partnerships Convention “We’ll be hosting the 6th edition of the Engineering Partnerships Convention in May, with the theme ‘Engineering a Digital World.’ We’ll focus on how policy can support digital services and how we can leverage technology to improve our offerings. The Deputy President will be our chief guest, and we expect over a thousand engineers and industry professionals to attend. There will also be workshops and safety training sessions.”

Final Message “My final message is that we need to leverage our engineering capability to transform the lives of people in Africa. Over 60 years after independence, we have an opportunity to use engineering as a tool for transformation. Engineering has the power to change economies, and we must continue to harness this potential to drive progress across the continent.”