The graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Water and Environmental Engineering (WEEN) petitioned Parliament to intervene in their case after the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) failed to accredit them.
At the time the group graduated in 2019, the program had not received approval from the EBK following gaps in its curriculum content.
Egerton University Vice-Chancellor Isaac Kibwage said the university had since reviewed the course to meet EBK requirements for Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEEN).
At least 200 Egerton University engineering graduates will go back to class for remedial classes starting September to enable them to qualify for accreditation by the industry regulator.
The graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Water and Environmental Engineering (WEEN) petitioned Parliament to intervene in their case after the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) failed to accredit them.
At the time the group graduated in 2019, the program had not received approval from the EBK following gaps in its curriculum content.
Egerton University Vice-Chancellor Isaac Kibwage said the university had since reviewed the course to meet EBK requirements for Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEEN).
“The University will invite the graduates to register for one special semester to cover the eight units at no extra cost,” he told the National Assembly Education committee yesterday.
The eight remedial courses for bridging the gap between WEEN and CEEN include Highway Geometry Design, Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Masonry Design, Pavement Design and Foundation Engineering.
EBK registrar Margaret Ongai said the Board is in the process of reviewing an accreditation request for CEEN by Egerton University.
“The students who have taken the unaccredited programmes cannot be registered by the Board, thus missing out on employment opportunities,” she said.
The University said there will be three special semesters with the first one starting in September to mop up the over 200 students.
“The special semester will save time for the graduates,” said Prof Kibwage.
A number of public universities have been on the spot for offering questionable engineering degrees whose graduates cannot practice the trade.
Mid last year, the High Court awarded Sh15 million to 75 former students for failing to secure jobs using an engineering degree awarded by the Technical University of Kenya (TUK), which is not recognised by EBK.
The EBK’s rejection of the degrees has been a bitter pill to swallow for parents and guardians who have spent thousands of shillings to take their children through five years of training only to find that theirs were investments with no returns.
