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Since retiring in Kenya three years ago, I have tried in vain to get registration as an Engineer, not withstanding I have a valid California License and decades of experience. I finally met a top official at the Engineers Registration Board.
After waiting for over two hours, the man without any apologies but lots of smiles told me to my face that he is aware that I cannot be registered because they do not have a mechanism to vet Kenyans. To show how he is aware of the problem he gave me an example of how if a Kenyan and a South African with identical qualifications came to the Board for registration he would grant the South African registration not the Kenyan. Even if the Kenyan applied with a foreign passport he would not be allowed to register because he is Kenyan. This came straight from the horses mouth. That is why many foreign consultants work in Kenya as they are the ones licensed. What a shame, the shackles of colonialism coupled with plain stupidity is still rife in Kenya in the 21st century
I will be filing suit against the Engineers Registration Board. I have tried to get in touch with Kenyan Community Abroad without much luck. If any KCA official is reading this please get in touch as this issues affects all in the Diaspora.
By Ndegwa Mahinda (mhuni@alumni.stanford.edu)