DP Gachagua Goes After Quack Engineers

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has directed the Engineers Board of Kenya to weed out quacks to protect the integrity of the profession.

Speaking on Wednesday November 15 when opening the 30th Institution of Engineers of Kenya Convention and the 18th World Council of Engineers at the Pride Inn Beach Resort, Mombasa, Gachagua said only qualified and certified professionals should be allowed to work.

"Tighten the self-regulation and surveillance mechanisms and get rid of people infiltrating your profession. You must protect your profession," Gachagua said.

The Deputy President observed that unqualified and uncertified people have injured the reputation of engineers in shoddy jobs such as collapsed buildings and construction of roads, which require repair even before completion.

DP Gachagua at the same time said that the Kenya Kwanza government is taking measures to bridge the about 7,000 demand gap for engineers in the country for development.

He noted that the allocation of more than Sh628 billion shillings to the Education Sector to facilitate full implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum and reforms of the funding model for tertiary learning institutions is one of the ways.

The DP also challenged the engineers to invest in improving and updating their skills to meet the development demands of the country and the globe.

"I want to emphasise that Engineering for a New World must be driven by barrier-breaking innovation. Generating new knowledge means we sharpen the existing expertise through intensified Research and Development. Companies and organisations have no option but to heavily invest in Research and Development," the Deputy President stated.

He further said the Ruto Administration banks on cutting-edge engineering expertise in delivering on the various pillars of the Kenya Kwanza Plan.