Engineers demand regulation of unaccredited university courses

The Engineers Board of Kenya now wants the university education regulator to consult professional bodies before accrediting courses.

Speaking during a National Assembly Education Committee workshop,  the board's registrar Margaret Oigai said this will help deal with the rising cases of unaccredited courses.

Last year, the Technical University of Kenya and Egerton University had issues with unaccredited courses.

This year, the board has received applications from 12 universities for accreditation of 26 engineering courses.

Ogai called for the amendment of the Universities Act to allow  the CUE and the engineers board to work in harmony.

“The commission may, before approving any academic programme, consult with any relevant body established by written law to regulate the profession to which the academic programme relates,” the Act reads.

“Remove the Commission for University Education ‘may’ consult and replace it with the Commission for University Education ‘shall consult', ” Ogai said.

If this is amended, CUE will consult professional organisations  before accrediting any engineering course in an institution.

“The board has engaged in consultations with CUE, councils of deans of schools of engineering and the State Department for University Education on the resolution of the accreditation impasse,” she added.

According to EBK, 175 students have submitted their applications for registration after studying unaccredited courses.

Ogai also promised to work with the placement agency to build the capacity of students as they select courses to ensure they choose the right ones.

She said professional organisations are working towards taming unrecognised courses from being offered in institutions.

"Unaccredited universities usually do not have the same educational standards and policies as accredited ones and hence the quality and standards of the education offered cannot be guaranteed," she said.

Three former Egerton University students petitioned the National Assembly to investigate the institution, saying it offers an engineering course not accredited by the regulator.

David Okoti, Ian Nyaga and Elvin Onyango said they graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Water and Environmental Engineering, but cannot find work as the course is not approved by the engineers board.

The High Court awarded Sh15 million to 75 former students for failing to secure jobs using an engineering degree awarded by TUK, which is not recognised by EBK.

The former students were admitted for engineering courses by the University of Nairobi but were later awarded degrees by TUK against their expectations.

The students were admitted between 2009 and 2011 when Kenya Polytechnic (later TUK) was a constituent college of UoN.

They argued that they have been unable to secure jobs because the engineering courses at TUK are not recognised by EBK.

(Edited by Francis Wadegu)

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