CS Murkomen to engineers: Be accountable for your works

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has stressed the importance of engineers to maintain high standards of professionalism in their work.

According to Murkomen, this will not only guarantee the safety of Kenyans but also foster trust in the integrity of infrastructure projects in the country.

Speaking Wednesday during the Engineering Partnerships Convention 2024, Murkomen said there was a need to have a register of all engineers under the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) to help with accountability purposes.

"It is important for the engineers to be accountable for their projects in the country," the CS said.

Citing the recent building that collapsed in Uthiru, Murkomen said the particular engineer who supervised it should be identified.

"It is important to account for every work supervised by a particular engineer so that we know why they approved such a building to go up to that level," he said.

This, he noted, will help to redeem the image of the profession and get rid of individuals who he said risk messing up with the institution of engineers.

"...even when we give contractors work, the buck stops at the engineers since they are the ones that supervise it," Murkomen said.

The event was held at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology in Nyeri,  themed "Engineering @60: Reflections, Response, Resetting".

Murkomen who was representing Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at the event also acknowledged the crucial role engineers play in the development of the country assuring them of his support.

He highlighted that his ministry has made great strides in recognising their role in the expansion of the infrastructure network through institutional appointments and the adoption of multi-agency approaches that guarantee their place at the decision-making table.

"We are working with the Engineers Board to further boost these efforts through mentoring and capacity building programmes, and providing sponsorship opportunities to student engineers," he said.

In dealing with the effects of climate change and its impact on infrastructure, the CS urged the engineers to work with state agencies under his ministry to develop climate-resilient infrastructure that can stand the test of time.