Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has been named the recipient of the prestigious Excellence in Engineering Education Award at the 2026 Engineering Partnerships Convention (EPC).
The award, presented during the Engineering Recognition & Excellence Gala, in Mombasa on Thursday, April 23, 2026, celebrates the university’s outstanding contributions to engineering pedagogy, research, and industry-aligned training.
During the ceremony, JKUAT final year students, all pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Electronic and Computer Engineering scooped top engineering excellence awards. Maryanne Mutua and Ruth Olumo emerged overall winners with their innovation project titled “Autonomous mobile robot for early detection and control in tomatoes.”
Elija Oiriga, won the runners up position with his project titled “Enhanced digital weather station using multi-source data fusion for micro-climate prediction.”
The third position also went to JKUAT student, Aaron Mulandi whose innovation project was titled, “Offline adaptive e-learning system.”
The wins solidify JKUAT’s position as the best engineering institution in Kenya and one of the top engineering schools in the Eastern African region. Spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology (COETEC), JKUAT has established itself as the most preferred university in Kenya for engineering and applied sciences.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi, credited the institution’s unwavering focus on problem-solving for the recognition.
“This award is a testament to the relentless dedication of our faculty, the ingenuity of our students, and the trust of our industry partners. At JKUAT, we have deliberately engineered an ecosystem where classroom knowledge meets real-world challenges,” Prof. Ngumi said.
JKUAT’s engineering dominance is not accidental but the result of deliberate, strategic investments across a number of key pillars. JKUAT has forged strategic collaborations designed to bridge the gap between academia and industry. A revitalized partnership with the Numerical Machining Complex, for instance, focuses on skills transfer, collaborative research, and commercialization of innovations
The University’s Engineering programs have earned international recognition, including under the Washington Accord, a significant achievement that affirms JKUAT’s curriculum meets rigorous global standards. This accreditation allows graduates to enjoy enhanced career mobility, with their qualifications recognized in all member countries. The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) also continues to accredit multiple programs, ensuring all offerings meet international benchmarks.
Central to the training model is the Engineering Workshops Department, featuring a team of highly experienced personnel and state-of-the-art machinery to equip the students with practical skills.
In addition, the Innovation Prototyping Integrated Centre (iPIC), equipped with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), provides modern laboratories where students design and fabricate their projects.
The university also maintains strong ties with industry giants, reflected in consistent employer preference for JKUAT graduates. Alumni securing roles at global firms like Microsoft and Safaricom regularly return to mentor students, emphasizing that the rigorous JKUAT training fosters adaptability and practical expertise demanded by the modern workforce.
The rigorous training environment consistently produces world-beating talent. JKUAT students, for example, have over the years delivered outstanding performance at the Huawei ICT Competition global finals in Shenzhen, China, competing against top engineering minds from across the globe.
JKUAT is also home to the Pan African University Institute for Basic Science, Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI) programs, recognized as a continental centre of excellence for postgraduate training and research in engineering.
COETEC Principal, Prof. Hiram Ndiritu, said that being named the best engineering training institution is a reflection of JKUAT’s core philosophy of ‘train as you would deploy.’
“From our uniquely equipped Engineering Workshops’ collaboration with the various industries for skills transfer, our students engage with real machinery, actual deadlines, and real industry standards. This award belongs to every JKUAT engineering student and graduate,” Prof. Ndiritu said.
