Step aside, engineer: There are no jobs for you

In the busy streets of Nairobi, melting in and out of the daily, maddening racket in search of livelihoods, are hundreds, maybe thousands, of frustrated, disenchanted engineers, a good number of who have decided they will never practice, either out of lack of opportunity or plain dissatisfaction with the returns in the field.

Some, painfully destitute, settle for anything that distracts them from the harsh realities of life. They were once hopeful, convinced the future had been smoothed out before them.

Polished minds, crème de la crème of the nation, brilliant students who, upon completion of their national exams in secondary schools, were carried shoulder high amid songs of jubilation. They passed their exams. Their names splashed across the front pages of leading dailies.

Then a bleak job market reared its ugly head.

Edwin Ng’era, who graduated with a BSc in electrical engineering six years ago, quickly pivoted to software engineering because it was more lucrative. So did Lee Muritu, a civil engineer who, like many of his peers, leapt into the same venture. Graduates from traditional disciplines — civil, electrical and mechanical engineering — are streaming into information technology in droves.

“The main problem is that the returns in some of these engineering disciplines do not match the effort in the end,” Muritu says. “After five rigorous years, the pay one consistently receives as an intern or young engineer is a joke. I turned down a job offering Sh35,000 because in software there were opportunities to earn more.”

The complaint is widespread. Available data point to a shaky transition.

After graduating from an accredited engineering course at a university recognised by the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), one may apply to be registered as a graduate engineer. After three years of supervised practice under a professional engineer, one may apply for licensure as a professional engineer.

The application process requires a Sh10,000 fee. The board conducts an administrative review of documents, contacts at least two referees and, following a technical evaluation, invites the applicant to sit an interview.

For many, the ‘how to’ register is quite clear. The ‘why’ is not.

According to the Racer Study on the Destination of Engineering Graduates from Public and Private Universities in Kenya, conducted in November 2023, Kenya graduates an average of 2,500 engineers each year. Yet the EBK portal — which maintains a detailed record of registered members — lists only 3,688 professional engineers accumulated over the years.

Where, then, are the rest — those three years or more into their careers? 

The study drew on databases and contact information for engineering graduates from three cohorts: 2009, 2014 and 2018, across participating universities. A total of 1,391 engineers were surveyed on various career aspects.

Interestingly, it showed remarkable employment rates among those interviewed, especially those who had graduated well over a decade ago.

“Across the cohorts, those who are employed constitute the highest percentages at 89 per cent, 82 per cent and 62 per cent for 2009, 2014 and 2018 cohorts respectively while the average is 71.2 per cent. About 8.6 per cent were self-employed, 17.4 per cent were unemployed, while about 2 per cent were in postgraduate studies,” the report noted.

The figures appear rosier than the accounts of many graduates suggest. Entire classes are finding work elsewhere, in fields they had never previously considered — and a closer look reveals troubling mismatches.

“Out of the 26 of us who graduated in my cohort, only one is actively practising,” says Sherman Ouko, an electronic and computer engineer now working as an AI programme manager.

 Ouko, who graduated from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology about six years ago, navigated numerous hurdles and found himself in a field he had not anticipated.

Working on a project as a fresh graduate, a perennially grumbling lead engineer revealed to Ouko how much remuneration he was receiving amid the physically demanding field work, and Ouko knew it was his cue to seek alternatives. The wage was painfully low. For Ouko, then a starry-eyed young professional hoping to lead projects one day, it signalled there was little light at the end of the tunnel.

“The most lucrative tenders are government tenders, and there is serious bureaucracy behind them. Only a few people benefit. The government has done little to strengthen the private sector, and those lucky enough to find employment there are often underpaid,” he says.

Bottlenecks

He recounts experiences of working with obsolete machinery in organisations reluctant to modernise, and of senior engineers who, intent on self-preservation, deny younger colleagues opportunities to gain experience and build careers.

At the time, he also feared it would be difficult to achieve career progression, well aware that obtaining study leave would be challenging and that one might be forced to resign in order to pursue it.

“The biggest frustration is knowing that you are qualified. You are smart, and yet you cannot secure an opportunity in the field you worked so hard to excel in at school. It is frustrating,” he says.

Engineering, alongside medicine, is among the two most sought-after disciplines for students who excel in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). Other choices are often frowned upon and, in some instances, those who opt for third alternatives are deemed escapist.

Together with other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses, the two are widely considered out of reach for many students — a preserve of a chosen few. Many enrol in these courses at university; very few complete them and graduate. There is even a running joke about spouses insisting, at every opportunity, on referencing their partners’ professions — à la “Daktari and I” or “Engineer and I”.

For a long time, the disciplines have been dominated by boys.

The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) is mandated to register engineers and engineering consulting firms, regulate professional engineering services, set standards and generally oversee the practice of engineering.

It recognises 60 engineering programmes in the country. The Commission for University Education (CUE) recognises 110 programmes offered across 18 universities, the overwhelming majority — 16 institutions, accounting for 88.9 per cent — being public universities, with only two private, according to the Racer study.

At the University of Nairobi’s 73rd graduation ceremony on Friday, September 19, 2025, nearly 10 per cent (347 of 3,836) of the total graduands were from the School of Engineering. While a number will go on to register as graduate engineers, very few are likely to transition to licensure as professional engineers.

“The cost of registering is high for graduate engineers, considering they do not earn enough to pursue their professional journey. So too is the cost of membership,” says Douglas Oisara, a mechanical engineer.

“There is also insufficient mentorship when it comes to engineering progression. Once one graduates, one is on their own. Professional bodies generally do not support young engineers. For example, the annual engineering conference fees amount to almost a young engineer’s yearly savings, and, mind you, they are often hosted at the coast. How can one afford that?”

Lack of opportunities

Like Ouko, Oisara decries the lack of opportunities for early-career professionals in dire need of them, in what appears to be a deliberate effort to deny them a foothold in the industry.

“There are not enough job opportunities for young engineers and yet, for one to be registered, you need to have practised in the field for a certain period. So where will one get the necessary skills?”

Despite many engineers failing to pursue EBK registration, and effectively falling through the cracks, abandoning the career altogether, others simply continue practising without seeking professional validation. The industry accommodates them.

“There is weak enforcement by EBK and other bodies — most employers hire engineers without proper licences. Most private companies have not employed registered engineers,” says Oisara. “Along these lines, there is also a mismatch with industry dynamics — informal practice predominates, so young engineers are employed in roles where licences are optional.”

This could be a reason common studies show a markedly better employment rate of engineers that the prevailing narrative, and reliance on EBK data, does.

Oisara also laments a long-running belief that sworn gatekeepers exist within the industry, discouraging young professionals from casting their lot with the EBK.

Vocal protest

While many of these complaints are whispered out of earshot of key decision-makers, some disgruntled engineers have resorted to vocal protest on social media.

Anyungu Wanyungu, a senior full-stack engineer and former student leader at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), who describes himself on X as an “Activist against Engineering in Kenya” and has dedicated several posts to voicing his concerns, wrote in 2023: “I get a lot of parents, elder siblings and current students asking me about the study of engineering in Kenya. Here is a summary of my cold response: I believe it is my duty to let you know that engineering has done more harm than good to a majority of engineering graduates.”

Another X user, Ignatius, wrote: “We have over 2,000 engineering graduates annually, of whom only 10 proceed to transition into professional roles. Sixteen of 79 universities are accredited to offer major engineering courses in Kenya, but some do not meet the threshold required. Starting with poor infrastructure, ageing and few lecturers — perhaps 20 circulating countrywide as part-timers, teaching virtually — and lowered cut-off points. You join a university to study civil engineering; you will spend five years in the library: no field trips, no practical sessions, no serious attachments, no lab sessions, nothing learned, just walking around the school with a T-square.” 

Another X user, Eddy The Patriot, argues that the principal impediment to the success of these critically needed professions lies in prudent management of resources.

“This country has a job for everyone if taxes were not stolen and if we were not paying 50 per cent of our tax revenue to 1 million civil servants and 400 politicians who make a mere two per cent of the population. I mean, what is left for the rest 98 per cent considering we are repaying odious debts?”

As the transition from the classroom to the workplace remains unspectacular across the engineering fields, the number of women attempting engineering is increasing, after years of being unremarkably low. Women have, for long, made up only 10 to 12 per cent of registered engineers in Kenya according to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco). Recent cohorts of female engineering graduates in Kenyan universities are approaching 30 per cent.

According to the EBK, universities offering Tier 1 engineering programmes (accredited to Washington Accord standards) and Tier 2 programmes (accredited to local standards) include Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Strathmore University, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, University of Nairobi, Moi University, Egerton University, Technical University of Mombasa and Technical University of Kenya.

Others include Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, University of Eldoret, Multimedia University of Kenya, Murang’a University of Technology, Machakos University, South Eastern Kenya University, Taita Taveta University and University of Embu.

Asked to comment on the low registration numbers, the EBK had not responded at the time of publication.

As young engineers struggle to justify pursuing EBK licensure, the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) continues to register professionals who work closely with engineers on major projects.

The ISK is the professional body representing practitioners in the land and built environment sector, including land surveying, valuation, building surveying, land administration management, engineering surveying, geospatial information management, estate agency and property management. It has close to 7,000 members.

Graduate membership — where the real work begins — requires a relevant degree or higher diploma from an institution recognised by the council. Forty-three institutions are listed from which applicants may select their qualification. Applicants must also secure two full members to propose and second their application, providing their membership numbers.

Applicants pay Sh5,900 as a membership fee and Sh5,100 as an entrance fee.

For full membership, one must have held graduate membership for at least two years and possess a postgraduate diploma from the ISK. Candidates must sit the ISK diploma examination, which assesses competency, ethics and professionalism. The qualification grants eligibility for full membership and is required to obtain practising licences in areas such as valuation, estate agency and building surveying. It also serves as a prerequisite for the Land Surveyors Board examination, necessary for licensing in land surveying.

According to the Land Surveyors Board, there are about 175 licensed surveyors in the country, roughly half of whom are active.

Licensure conditions include completing a minimum of 10 plots in one scheme — or across no more than three schemes — based on newly established controls in a scheme cadastral survey; conducting topographical surveys of at least two hectares in high-density areas with over 60 per cent coverage; establishing at least three control points within an area of approximately 20 km² using static GNSS mode; and undertaking a sectional property survey project comprising at least 30 units, among other requirements.

Many young professionals in the land and built environment sector believe significant barriers to licensure persist and are, like engineers, gradually relinquishing the dream, either halting their pursuit of licensing or abandoning the profession altogether.