How to register as a professional engineer in Kenya

To practice engineering in Kenya and for one to be recognized as an Engineer, it is necessary for them to register in both the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) and the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK).

EBK is a regulatory body resulting from the Engineers Act 2011 with the explicit mandate to regulate the engineering practice in the country.

The board interests itself with all aspects of engineering practice in Kenya from the accreditation of courses at the university level to the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of Engineers. Included in the board of EBK are four individuals nominated from IEK including the Chairman of the institution.

IEK on the other hand is the learned society of the Engineering Profession in Kenya. The institution has the objective to spearhead the wellbeing of the occupation and development of the engineering profession in Kenya. The institution has been in existence since 1972 championing engineers and looking for ways to protect and improve the practice of engineering in Kenya.

A professional engineer is an individual, who has fulfilled education and experience requirements and passed rigorous exams and thereafter licensed to practice engineering. For one to practice as a professional engineer in Kenya, one is required by law to register with the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK). The registration provides an assurance to the public that one is adequately skilled to take the responsibilities that come with making engineering decisions.

A registered professional engineer is issued with a practising license every year. The main requirement in registration is for a graduate engineer to demonstrate that he/she has acquired sufficient skills and professional competence to work as an engineer. Typically, this is maybe achieved within two and a half to three years where structured training is effected.

It should be noted that one can register through IEK as a corporate member and thereafter apply for registration to EBK while using the same reports (with changed cover pages to reflect EBK). Done this way, you will be subjected to only the oral interview by EBK.

Download this EBK notice on the same: EBK Notice on Registration of Engineers and Provision of Professional Engineering Services in Kenya

---

August 2021 Update:

You can download the updated notice on the application procedure and timelines below:

EBK-Examination Notice-August 2021

Keeping checking the EBK website for any new guidelines: Check their “resource section” of the website.

---

APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR REGISTRATION AS A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER

Note that submission of applications and professional interview documents may be done online.

1.Ensure that you meet the following qualifications:

• Registered with EBK as a Graduate Engineer;
• Have at least 3years of working experience from the date of registration as a Graduate Engineer;
• Have worked under the supervision of a Professional Engineer.

2.Fill in the Application Form; available on our website or at the EBK’s Customer Information Desk.

3.Attach the below-listed documents:

• Certified copy of Degree Certificate and other relevant academic certificates;
• Certified copy of National Identity Card (ID)/ Passport;
• EBK Graduate Engineer Certificate;
• IEK Membership Certificate or Receipt of application;
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) certified by one of the referees;
• Two coloured passport photos.

Note: Certification to be done by the Commissioner of Oaths whose names and addresses are fully displayed on the Rubber Stamp:

4. Applicant should deposit KSh. 10,000.00 application fee at EBK’s Bank Account.

Account Name: Engineers Board of Kenya

Account No: 01001031539000

Bank: National Bank. Hill Plaza

5.Drop your application together with the Bank Slip at the Customer Information Desk.

6.After all the documents are received, the Board will carry out an administrative review of the documents and if there are any deficiencies the Secretariat will advise the applicant accordingly.

7.The Board will contact the nominated referees.  Upon receiving at least two responses, the application will be forwarded to the chairman of the panel of the respective discipline for technical evaluation.

8.The Panel will carry out a technical evaluation and present their recommendations to the Board for approval of submission of professional interview documents.

9.The Board will notify the applicant in writing of the approval to sit for the professional interview and forward to them the notes and rules on the conduct of the professional interview.

10.The applicant should prepare, submit and sit for his / her professional interview within (1) one year from the date of notification.

11.After the applicant has sat for the professional interview the recommendations will be forwarded to the Board for deliberations and ratifications.

12.The applicant will be notified in writing of the Board’s recommendations and thereafter a certificate of registration will be issued to successful applicants.

Referees and supervisors

• Needs three referees who must be very explicit on the recommendations supporting the candidate’s readiness for registration.
• Two must be from the profession of the applicant’s profession.
• Need to have a registered engineer as a supervisor.

It is possible to look for a supervisor among registered engineers.

Professional Interview (PI) Documents

The applicant will be given guidelines on how to prepare PI documents but you may note the following:-

These are two documents to be submitted in 3 copies are:-

1. i) Training and experience report and
2. ii) Project Report

---

August 2021 Update:

For electrical,  you can download the updated Notes and Rules for Professional Interview-Electrical Engineering, by downloading this PDF, EBK Notes Rules-Electrical Engineering Profesional Engineer

---

1) TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REPORT

In the preliminary, take care of the following:-

1. Take note of the cover page,
2. Declaration must be made by the candidate that the report correctly describes his/her training and experience gained in the course of his duties.

iii) Certification by supervisor that the report submitted correctly describes training and experience gained by the candidate under his supervision

This training and experience report is done in two parts as follows

1. i) Summary of Training and Experience to be prepared in matrix form as below and suitably in portrait format.

PERIOD	INSTITUTION	WORK DONE	SUPERVISOR	DURATION in Months

 

The matrix data will start from time at the University and will include any attachments and training received during the period.  Change of employer, position or station will require a separate row. Supervisors must be indicated by name. There should be no gaps in time and the entire period from entry to University to date must be accounted for.

• At the end of the matrix, show total duration
• The matrix must show appropriately the training received which should be at least 24 months.

A table showing Summary of time spent is required following the matrix:

• Engineering Education-months
• Training months
• Design months
• Construction months
• Customer service months
• Project Management months

TOTAL months

Total Duration (months) should be the same as on the matrix.

The second part is:

2.0 Detailed Training and Experience Report

The candidate will expand on each items covered in the summary of training and experience report giving a paragraph or so on each row covered. This is presented in paragraph form to explain training and experience gained.

Download Training and Experience Report Templates (for Electrical) below:

• IEK STANDARD FORMAT FOR T&E REPORT
• EBK STANDARD FORMAT FOR T&E REPORT

PROJECT REPORT

• Project reported should not be more than 5 years old.
• A purely academic project is not acceptable.
• Attention to cover page, title of project.
• Declaration by the applicant is required declaring that the project is his work carried out in the course of his /her duties.
• Certification is also required from the supervisor certifying that the project was done by the candidate under his supervision.
• The application can be made to both IEK and EBK.
• It is possible to get a supervisor from other professional engineers.

Specific on the project

1. Show Problem statement necessitating the project
2. Discuss possible solutions and come up with a preferred solution
3. Analyse the current situation
4. Design the preferred solution
5. Show design calculations,
6. Drawings,
7. Bill of quantities
8. Implementation
9. Cost benefit analysis

Download Project Report Templates (for Electrical) below:

•  EBK STANDARD FORMAT FOR PROJECT REPORT -July 2020_EBK
• IEK STANDARD FORMAT FOR PROJECT REPORT -July 2020_IEK

 Interviews

At the interview, candidate will be required to explain his training and experience, present his/her project and answer questions from the panelists. The candidate is expected to bring along a copy of his/her reports and some writing material to take notes during the interview. Candidates below 45 years of age will be required to write a 2 hour (hr) essay on a topic to be advised by the panel.

Discussions

1. Applicants whose documents have shortcomings are invited for discussions where these shortcomings are brought to their attention and are advised to improve on their reports.
2. For those who have not achieved adequate training and experience, they are advised to seek attachment with suitable firms to get relevant experience.

Scoring

Based on how well the candidate prepares and presents his/her reports, the candidate will be marked out of the following in the respective areas of submission.

• Training and experience report- (10 marks)
• Calculations  (15 marks)
• Drawings (10 marks)
• Bills of Quantities (5 marks)
• Interview  presentation (50 marks)
• Essay  for young candidates  –those below 45 years ( 10 marks)

Professional Interview Preparation (PIP) Seminars

Professional Interview Preparation Seminars are organized by IEK to assist those wishing to become Corporate Members of IEK and to register as Professional Engineers. The seminars are one day and are held twice a year. But since the start of Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, the PIP seminars are now held online regularly.

Collaborations

Through MoU’s with the Engineering Boards and Institutions in the Eastern Africa, it is possible to have registration in any East African countries and have it recognized in Kenya.