EBK Registration: Graduate Professional and Consulting Engineers

The Engineers Board of Kenya was established in 1969 as Engineers Registration Board with the mandate of regulating standards in the engineering profession creating more opportunities for engineers and engineering companies.

The name changed under the Engineers act of 2011 but the functions remained the same. It’s the central statutory body that registers engineers and engineering companies and ensures they continue improving the performance of the engineering profession.

To become an engineer in Kenya, or offer any official engineering services in Kenya, you must undergo the EBK registration process. This applies to all levels of engineers.

There are three levels of Engineers in Kenya

• Graduate Engineer
• Professional Engineer
• Consulting Engineer

We’re going to find out how to register to be all of these engineer levels.

How to register as a Graduate Engineer in Kenya

A graduate engineer by definition is a person who has completed a five-year engineering program from an accredited institution. A graduate engineer is the lowest level an engineer attains but it sets the stage for acquiring professional and consulting engineer registration.

The main condition required to register as a graduate engineer is having a Bachelor’s Degree in any engineering course from an accredited institution. The registration process follows these steps.

1. Access EBK Registration Portal
2. Click on Create Account
3. Fill in the Registration Form and click Update
4. Check your E-mail Inbox and Confirm E-mail is sent. (Check your spam box for Email from EBK if you don’t find it in your Inbox)
5. Log into your account using your National ID number and password
6. Click on Apply for Registration on the left Menu
7. Click on Apply New registration
8. Select Application for Graduate Engineer and Check terms and conditions. Click Next
9. Upload your Passport, National ID and fill in your personal details, Click next
10. Enter Postal Address information, Current Employer Information if employed, Click Next
11. Upload your Degree certificates, KCSE certificate, and Passport or National ID copies which must be stamped by the Commissioner of Oaths. The recommended commissioner of oaths is located at EBK offices and the cost of getting your documents stamped ranges from 200-300.
12. Download and Print the Invoice.
13. Go to the bank (National Bank, Hill Plaza) and pay Ksh 4,000 Registration Fee according to the Invoice you downloaded. Account Name: Engineers Board of Kenya, Account No: 01001031539000. You can also pay through MPesa as indicated at the end of this article.
14. A receipt will be generated through your EBK portal within 24 hours after payment. Download it.
15. Download the Graduate Engineer Registration Form and fill it
16. Attach the Invoice, and Bank receipt to the registration form and submit it to EBK Office, Fortis Suites, Hospital Road, Nairobi.
17. Wait for your registration to be processed. This might take up to 12 months because registrants are approved when the EBK has a sitting which happens once or twice a year.

As clear from the registration process, you will need the following documents for you to register

• Copy of KCSE Certificate (Colored)
• Copy of National ID/Passport (Colored)
• Passport Sized Photos (Colored)
• Copy of Bachelor’s Degree Certificate (Colored)
• Original Payment Receipt
• Filled EBK Registration Form
• EBK Invoice (Colored)

ALL applications MUST be submitted through both online platforms (Engineers portal) and filled Graduate Engineer Registration Form.

How to register as a Professional Engineer in Kenya

A professional engineer in simple terms is an engineer who has gained enough experience under the supervision of a registered engineer and over a substantial period, to offer professional engineering services.

For anybody to register as a professional engineer in Kenya with the EBK, they must meet the following requirements

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

If you have met all these requirements, then the registration process is almost similar to the Graduate Engineer registration you did especially the application phase. The differences come in with the additional documents required and the thorough process you undergo before approval.

1. Access EBK Registration Portal
2. Log into your account using your National ID number and password
3. Click on Apply for Registration on the left Menu
4. Click on Apply New registration
5. Select Application for Professional Engineer and Check terms and conditions. Click Next
6. Upload your Passport, National ID and fill in your personal details, Click next
7. Enter current Postal Address information, Current Employer Information if employed, Click Next
8. Upload the required documents which must be stamped by the Commissioner of Oaths. The recommended commissioner of oaths is located at EBK offices and the cost of getting your documents stamped ranges from 200-300.
9. Download and Print the Invoice
10. Go to the bank (National Bank. Hill Plaza) and pay Ksh 10,000 Application Fee according to the Invoice you downloaded. Account Name: Engineers Board of Kenya, Account No: 01001031539000. You can also pay through MPesa as indicated at the end of this article.
11. Submit hard copy application attached with all required documents, the invoice and the bank slip at the Customer Information Desk, EBK offices
12. Once all documents are submitters the Board will review the documents and if anything is lacking, the Secretariat will advise accordingly.
13. Wait for your application to be processed.
14. You will be invited for a professional examination/interview which you must sit within a year from the date of notification.
15. Successful registrants will be issued with a certificate of registration

The required documents for Prefessional engineer registration include

• 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 colored passport photos

To sit for a professional interview/examination you must have:

• A report on experience acquired since graduation
• An engineering design report (calculations and drawings, submitted in advance of the interview and examined in detail by the interviewers).
• An essay on an engineering subject which is related to your experience or a special interest you may have indicated

What happens during the processing of your application?

The Board contacts your referees and upon receiving at least two responses, the application is forwarded to the chairman of the panel of the respective discipline for technical evaluation.

The Panel will evaluate your application and present their recommendations to the Board for approval of the submission of professional interview documents.

The Board will notify you in writing the approval to sit for the professional interview and send you the notes and rules on the conduct of the professional interview.

You are hence required to sit the professional interview within (1) one year from the date of notification. Thereafter, recommendations will be forwarded to the Board for deliberations and ratifications.

If successful, you will be notified in writing of the Board’s recommendations and issued with a certificate of registration

At this point, you have made one of the most admired achievements in Kenya of being an Engineer and hence you can add the initials Eng. in your name, just like Dr. for doctors and Prof. for professors.

However, if you want to scale higher in the world of engineering, then you need to register as a consulting engineer.

How to register as a Consulting Engineer in Kenya

A consulting engineer is a registered professional engineer with expertise and leadership in the planning, design, modification, or rehabilitation of public and private infrastructure. Such skills can only be acquired after years of work and experience in engineering projects

To register a consulting engineer in Kenya, you must meet the following two requirements

• Have been registered with EBK as a Professional Engineer
• Must have at least 9 years continuous professional experience 5 years of which are after you registered as a professional engineer

The process of registering as a consulting engineer is almost identical to registering as a professional engineer. The only slight difference is the double application fee.

1. Access EBK Registration Portal
2. Log into your account using your National ID number and password
3. Click on Apply for Registration on the left Menu
4. Click on Apply New registration
5. Select Application for Consulting Engineer and Check terms and conditions. Click Next
6. Upload your Passport, National ID and fill in your personal details, Click next
7. Enter current Postal Address information, Current Employer Information if employed, Click Next
8. Upload all required documents which must be stamped by the Commissioner of Oaths. The recommended commissioner of oaths is located at EBK offices and the cost of getting your documents stamped ranges from 200-300.
9. Download and Print the Invoice
10. Go to the bank (National Bank. Hill Plaza) and pay Ksh 20,000 Application Fee according to the Invoice you downloaded. Account Name: Engineers Board of Kenya, Account No: 01001031539000. You can also pay through MPesa as indicated at the end of this article.
11. Submit hard copy application attached with all the required documents, Invoice and the bank slip at the Customer Information Desk, EBK Offices
12. Wait for your application to be reviewed.
13. Prepare and attend a professional examination/interview which you will be notified.

The required documents to register as a consulting engineer include:

• Certified copy of Degree Certificate and other relevant academic certificates,
• Certified copy of National Identity Card (ID)/ Passport
• EBK Professional Engineer Certificate
• IEK Membership Certificate
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) certified by one of the referees,
• Two colored passport photos

Ensure you have the following documents for your professional examination

• A report on experience acquired since registration as a professional engineer.
• An engineering design report (calculations and drawings, submitted in advance of the interview and examined in detail by the interviewers).
• An essay on an engineering subject which is related to your experience or a special interest you may have indicated

What happens during the review of your application?

Your application goes through the same process mentioned under the professional engineer registration process. Your documents will be reviews, in case of deficiencies, you will be notified.

Nominated referees will be contacted and then your application forwarded to the chairman of your discipline for evaluation.

After technical evaluation, you will be invited for an interview after which recommendations based on your performance will be forwarded to the Board for deliberations and ratifications.

If successful, you will be issued a certificate of registration as a consulting engineer.

EBK Card

As an engineer registered by the EBK, you are awarded an EBK Smart Card which gives you the following benefits

• It acts as an identification card thus work as proof that you are a licensed engineer
• It provides a secure and unforgeable identification system
• It will enable you to conveniently carry out financial transactions such as payments for Board activities.
• It will make it easier for you to access the Board’s services such as avoiding long queues at registration desks during the Board activities.
• All other benefits of a normal Visa Card

Having successfully registered as an engineer, remember to renew your registration every year at the same cost of application for each of the engineer levels we have gone through.

Lastly, paying EBK through the bank can be hectic. Fortunately, EBK introduced payment through M-Pesa to make it easier for engineers to pay for its services.

How to pay EBK Application Fee using MPesa

1. Access MPesa Menu
2. Go to Lipa Na MPesa
3. Select Pay Bill
4. Enter the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) business number 839300.
5. Enter EBK Account number: GRADAPP (Graduate Engineers), PROFAPP (Professional Engineers), CONSAPP (Consulting Engineers)
6. Enter the amount. (Ksh. 4,000.00 (Graduate Engineers), Ksh. 10,000.00 (Professional Engineers), Ksh. 20,000.00 (Consulting Engineers)
7. Enter your M-Pesa PIN.
8. Confirm and Submit.

How to pay EBK Annual Fee using MPesa

1. Access MPesa Menu
2. Go to Lipa Na MPesa
3. Select Pay Bill
4. Enter the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) business number 839300.
5. Enter your EBK Registration Number: Graduate Engineers – B*****, Professional Engineers – A*****, Consulting Engineers – E*****
6. Enter the amount: Ksh. 4,000.00 (Graduate Engineers), Ksh. 10,000.00 (Professional Engineers), Ksh. 20,000.00 (Consulting Engineers)
7. Enter your M-Pesa PIN.
8. Confirm and Submit.

Well, now that you have the procedure at your fingertips, I wish you all the best as you register to become an engineer.