Declining Interest in Mining and Mineral Processing Engineering Courses in Kenya
Kenya’s ambitions to become a large-scale mineral producing country are being threatened by a lack of interest in mining courses among students, which could impede the country’s industrialization plans, according to experts.
Data from the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service reveals a concerning trend of declining enrollment in mining and mineral processing engineering courses.
For example, in 2020, only 231 students who had completed their KCSE examinations applied for placement in mining and mineral processing engineering programs at several universities in Kenya, and only 12 of them were eventually placed.
The numbers were slightly higher in 2021, with 591 students showing interest in the courses, but the overall trend has been declining over the past five years.
Even at Taita Taveta University, where there is a niche program offering a Bachelor of Science in Mining and Mineral Processing, only 131 students are currently enrolled in the course, with only 20 of them being female.
Dr. Bernard Ouma Alunda, the dean at Taita Taveta University’s school of mines and engineering, has noted that many students are fixated on traditional engineering programs like mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering, while mining engineering remains under-enrolled, despite its lucrative career prospects.
Graduates of mining and mineral processing engineering can find employment in various sectors, including extractive industries, construction, academia, and chemical engineering.
The mining and quarrying sector contributes significantly to Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with the Kenya Bureau of Statistics reporting an increase in its contribution from Ksh 72.7 billion in 2019 to Ksh 91.8 billion in 2020.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Mining acknowledges the potential of the sector to boost economic growth through increased export earnings, infrastructure development, employment creation, and social welfare improvement.
However, the mining sector in Kenya is largely characterized by artisanal and small-scale operations that lack modern technology, safety practices, and rely heavily on manual labor.
To address this challenge, Taita Taveta University has invested in research and teaching facilities, including a Centre of Excellence for Mining, Environmental Engineering, and Resource Management, which is a joint project with Germany’s TU Bergakademie and University of Applied Sciences, Dresden.
The university believes that its strategic location in the mineral-rich county of Taita Taveta provides an opportunity to establish a world-class engineering institution in mining.
Efforts have also been made by the Kenyan government to promote the mining sector, such as the recent launch of the Voi Gemology Centre, a gemstone processing facility, aimed at generating over Ksh 3 billion annually from value-addition to gemstones for export.
Declining Interest in Mining and Mineral Processing Engineering Courses in Kenya
