Kenyan engineer elected president of African engineering body

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Kenyan engineer Erick Ohaga has been elected president of the Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO), securing 83 percent of the vote in an election that places him at the helm of the continent’s umbrella engineering body.

Ohaga, who is the Director of Nuclear Infrastructure Development at Kenya’s Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA), will lead an organisation that represents engineering professionals across Africa.

FAEO serves as the collective voice of the engineering profession on the continent, bringing together engineering organisations from five regional blocks and representing more than 1.5 million professionals.

The federation works to promote the application of engineering and technology in addressing Africa’s development challenges, while also linking African engineering organisations with international institutions, including the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) and the African Union (AU).

Ohaga’s election adds to his leadership experience in the engineering profession. He previously served as the elected president of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) between 2022 and 2024.

His new role comes as African countries seek to expand infrastructure development, energy access, industrialisation and the adoption of technology, areas where engineering expertise is expected to play a central role.

At NuPEA, Ohaga has been involved in Kenya’s nuclear infrastructure development as the country explores nuclear power as part of its long-term energy strategy.

His election also gives Kenya a leadership position within a continental professional body whose mandate includes strengthening cooperation among engineers and engineering institutions across Africa.

FAEO is expected to use the collective expertise of its member organisations to support sustainable development and improve the contribution of engineering and technology to the continent’s economic and social development.

Ohaga’s term will therefore place him at the centre of discussions on the role of engineering in Africa’s infrastructure, energy and industrial development agenda.