Advertisement
Why nearly half of Kenyan engineers are jobless
02nd September, 2025 11:57 AM
Engineers President, Shammah Kiteme, has come out strongly explaining why nearly half of Kenyan engineers are still jobless despite the country being a huge construction site.
Speaking during an interview with a local media house on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, Kiteme has argued that at least 50 per cent of engineers remain unemployed because the public policy seems to prefer foreign firms to Kenyan engineers.
“So we have done our mathematics and realised that, of the 50 per cent unemployed engineers, which is about 13,500, 10,000 job opportunities are available. And we are saying, this is not happening because of one simple problem. But the public policy seems to prefer foreign firms so that we have opportunities in this country.
Kiteme reveals engineers’ challenges
Kiteme has also noted, “Frankly speaking, this country is literally a construction site, from Mandera to Migori, from Lodwar to Loitoktok, and engineers are experts in construction materials. Over 90 per cent of construction is about construction materials.”
He has argued that the current government’s job allocation method for engineers has brought a huge loop into the unemployment menace. He instead argues that the government should ensure that every resident engineer is responsible for only one project, as opposed to the current situation.
“We sat down, and we figured out that if you go to the road sector and ensure that in the road sector, every resident engineer is responsible for only one project, as opposed to the current situation, where we have engineers responsible for about 11 projects, then 10 projects would be available jobs for unemployed engineers and good jobs,” he stated.
He explains, “Now, every time a project is being done, for example, I’m constructing Kimathi Street as a road, for example, you need someone called a resident engineer. The resident engineer’s work is to be there to ensure that the construction follows design and specifications. He’s the one who’s on the board there, right? You can therefore not be resident in 11 places at once.”
He also added, “Now, we have also checked in the building sector and said, ‘Look, the affordable housing program has been rolled out. There’s literally a construction all over this country about an affordable housing plan. Engineers should be busy, but what did the State Department of Housing and Urban Development do? Take one consortium and give them eight projects instead of getting many consortia and giving them projects,” he noted.
Engineers’ protests
His remarks follow a recent protest by the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK), which is calling on the government to create at least 10,000 jobs for unemployed engineers across the country.
The Engineers, led by their president, Eng. Shammah Kiteme, members of the institution staged a peaceful march on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, to highlight what they termed as the growing crisis of engineer unemployment, with over half of the country’s qualified engineers currently out of work.
In their petition, the engineers raised concerns over the exclusion of local professionals from major infrastructure projects, accusing some foreign firms of sidelining Kenyan engineers or underpaying them while reaping the benefits of government contracts.
