Engineering Technologists Told To Step Up In Construction To Curb Collapses
Dr Cecilia Ngetich.
By Anneth Chepng’etich
Engineering technologists and technicians have been challenged to take a frontline role in Kenya’s construction industry as a critical measure to enhance building safety, professional accountability and overall construction quality.
The appeal comes as Kenya marks ten years since the Engineering Technology Act, 2016 came into force on August 19, 2016 — a landmark law that transformed the regulation of engineering technology professionals in the country.
The Act established the Kenya Engineering Technology Registration Board (KETRB), mandated with the registration, licensing and regulation of engineering technologists and technicians nationwide.
Speaking during the anniversary, Dr. Cecilia Ngetich underscored the importance of the legislation, noting that it has provided a clear legal framework for regulating the practice and elevating professional standards in the sector.
“The law has given us the structure we needed to regulate the profession and ensure that engineering technologists operate within a defined code of standards and ethics,” Dr. Ngetich said.
Former Treasurer of the Institution of Engineering Technology Council, Prof. Charles Ondieki, urged all stakeholders in the built environment to fully integrate engineering technologists and technicians into construction projects, from design to execution.
According to Prof. Ondieki, these professionals possess the technical competence required to ensure strict adherence to engineering procedures and specifications on site.
“Engineering technologists and technicians have the expertise needed to ensure that engineering standards and procedures are followed throughout the construction process. Ignoring them is creating a loophole for errors,” Ondieki said.
Echoing his sentiments, Bibiye Mahmoud Juma, President of the Institution of Engineering Technology of Kenya (IET-Kenya), said their greater involvement would significantly reduce cases of structural failures and collapsing buildings that have claimed lives in recent years.
“The involvement of qualified engineering technologists and technicians is important in reducing construction errors and preventing building failures. We cannot achieve safe structures without involving those trained to implement and supervise standards,” Juma stated.
The experts warned that sidelining qualified professionals in favour of unqualified labour continues to expose the country to the risk of substandard buildings, costly reworks, and deadly collapses.
They are now calling on contractors, developers, county governments and regulatory agencies to comply with the Engineering Technology Act and ensure that licensed engineering technologists and technicians are given a greater, substantive role in all construction projects across the country.
They argued that full compliance with the law is not just a legal obligation, but a moral duty to protect lives and safeguard public investments in infrastructure.
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