The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) will partner with the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) to commemorate this year’s World Engineering Day to be held on March 4.
The events in Kenya will be a part of global activities to observe a day set aside to celebrate engineers and their achievements. The day was first marked last year.
The theme of this year’s celebrations is Engineering for A Healthy Planet: Celebrating the UNESCO Engineering Report. The second UNESCO Engineering Report will be launched virtually on Thursday, 4 March 2021 between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. EAT.
The virtual session will be dedicated to the release of the report, for which delegates from the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) have actively participated. Delegates from the UN, UNESCO, other international organizations, and experts in the engineering community will join and speak at the event.
IEK President Eng. Nathaniel Matalanga said, “Engineering plays a key role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as it utilizes the principles of science and mathematics to develop practical applications that enhance food security, water supply, reliable energy, the environment, sustainable cities, natural disaster resilience and other areas which are crucial to all mankind. In Kenya, it is the IEK’s mission to make engineering the heart of our development.”
As the industry regulator, the EBK is responsible for the registration of engineers and engineering firms and regulation of engineering professional services. The regulator also oversees setting of standards, and the development of the general practice of engineering.
The Chairman of the Board, Eng. Erastus K. Mwongera has assured Kenyans of the Board’s commitment in ensuring quality engineering education in Kenyan universities to achieve global standards.
The Board has designed a structured training program for graduate engineers to ensure they attain the professional competences required to transition to professional practice. Engineers in Kenya are required to keep their skills and knowledge up to date by participating in continuing professional development program offered by the Board and its accredited service providers.
UNESCO is placing a high priority on activities that promote awareness of engineering as a career, as well as on those that demonstrate the importance of the youth studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
In organizing this year’s events, EBK and IEK aim to celebrate Kenyan engineers and key engineering activities in various sectors that have impacted the lives of Kenyans.
Participants will be drawn from various spheres of influence and will include international participants, Kenyan engineers, Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies related to engineering work.