INTRODUCTION
The Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering opened its doors to the first group of certificate students in 1981. The college became a University College in 1989 and Diploma and Degree students were first enrolled in 1990. The degree course is a 5-year programme and the diploma course was a 3-year programme. From the academic year 2001/2002, the department started the process of phasing out the diploma programme and at the same time introducing a new degree programme in Electrical and Electronic Engineering .
The department started offering degree courses in 1990, with a programme BSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering (which is still offered to date). In 2003, the department introduced two new programmes: BSc in Telecommunication and Information Engineering and BSc in Electronic and Computer Engineering.
The Bachelor of Science degree programme in Telecommunication and Information and Engineering was borne out of the need identified for personnel with knowledge and skills in electronics, telecommunications and information engineering in order to deal with the modern technologies which integrate these disciplines. In the formative years, the programme was run by the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, but in 2008, the Department of Telecommunication and Information Engineering was established, and the programme was moved to that department.
The undergraduate student numbers in this programme have grown steadily from a mere 24 in 2003 to over 200 at present. The first cohort of BSc Telecommunication and Information Engineering students graduated in the year 2008. To date, about 120 students have graduated from this programme. Most of these are working in various industries in Kenya, including telecommunication industries, data communication and information-intensive industries. A number of others have pursued higher degrees in various institutions both locally and abroad. A few others are working abroad.
In 2008, Safaricom supported the review of the curriculum for this programme to incorporate the new developments in the field of telecommunications. In the first three years of the revised curriculum, the students cover the core subjects in electrical engineering (along with supporting courses in mathematics, information engineering/computing, sciences and humanities). In the fourth year, core courses in telecommunications and information engineering are offered, along with courses in management. In the fifth year, there are two areas of specialization, namely telecommunications or information engineering.
VISION
- To become a center of excellence in training, research, consultancy and innovation in the field of Electrical Engineering
MISSION STATEMENT
- To offer high quality academic programmes in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, carry out research in particular areas, train professional engineers and collaborate with industry to offer solutions for national development.
OBJECTIVES
a) To produce internationally recognized Electrical and Electronic Engineering graduates who also meet the needs of the local engineering industry.
b) To strengthen and expand collaboration and partnerships with industry.
c) Develop and maintain relevant electrical engineering oriented programmes in response to the needs of industry and run industry driven continuous professional development (CPD) programmes.
d) To enhance research and innovation.
e) To become a center of excellence in training, research and innovation in the field of Electrical Engineering.
f) Staff capacity building to enhance quality of resource and training.
FACILITIES AND STAFF
The Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering has highly trained and qualified staff complemented by well-equipped laboratories and workshops. There are also computer facilities within the department in addition to the university computer rooms. The university main library stocks a wide range of textbooks and journals relating to Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Additional literature is also available at the departmental library.
The department also is registered with the Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) where members of staff and students can access IEEE articles and Journals through the internet.
The department has the following laboratories and workshops:
Electrical Machines, lab., Power Systems and High Voltage lab., Telecommunications Lab., Basic Electrical Lab., Electronic~ lab., Digital Lab., Control lab., Computer lab and Installation workshop. These are well equipped and very conducive for training and research work.
RESEARCH AREAS
Currently the members of the department are organized into eight (8) research groups. These research groups are as follows:
• Power Electronics and Machine Drives
• Power Systems and High Voltage Technology
• Energy Studies
• Semiconductor and Magnetic Materials
• Control Engineering
• Electrical Installation and Engineering
• Software Engineering
Research work is supported by excellent facilities in the labs as wells as established computing services in the department.
The department was instrumental in the founding of Kenya Society of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (KSEEE). It is also the registered office of KSEEE. Each year, KSEEE organises conferences that bring together local and international researchers and provides a forum for exchange of research activities.
The department holds academic seminars frequently so as to promote continuous research.
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE AND REGULATIONS
Duration: The programme will take a total of ten semesters of sixteen weeks each and a total of twenty-four weeks of industrial training.
Courses: There are eight course units in every semester.
Mode of Study: These are full-time programmes at JKUAT and are conducted during normal semester time.
Regulations: All College of Engineering and Technology and University Regulations for the degree programmes apply.
Examinations: Examinations are taken at the end of every semester for the courses taken in that semester. The University and College Examinations rules and regulations for the degree programmes apply.