Kenya's grand ambition to cement Nairobi as the aviation hub of Africa is facing a critical turbulence: a severe shortage of skilled engineers. At the 2026 Aviation Sector Conference in Nairobi, industry leaders sounded the alarm, warning that gleaming new terminals and expanded runways will be rendered useless without a competent workforce to maintain them.

The warning comes at a time of robust growth. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reports that the air transport sector expanded by 6.3% in 2024, with passenger numbers surpassing 12 million—nearing pre-pandemic highs. Yet, beneath these glossy figures lies a crumbling foundation of human capital. As airlines modernize their fleets with digital-first aircraft, the local talent pool is struggling to keep pace with the technological leap.

Infrastructure vs. Intellect

Shammah Kiteme, President of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK), was blunt in his assessment. [...](asc_slot://start-slot-19)"Aviation is not merely about aircraft in the sky," Kiteme told delegates. "No aviation system can outperform the competence of its people." His message was clear: investing billions in the JKIA expansion without a parallel investment in technical training is a strategic error.

The gap is most acute in specialized fields such as avionics, airworthiness inspection, and predictive maintenance. Captain Paul Njoroge of Kenya Airways highlighted that modern aircraft are essentially flying data centers, requiring engineers who are as proficient in coding and systems architecture as they are in mechanics. [...](asc_slot://start-slot-21)"Innovation improves efficiency," Njoroge noted, "but it raises the bar for training. We are currently playing catch-up."

• The Brain Drain: Experienced Kenyan engineers are increasingly being poached by Gulf carriers, leaving a vacuum of mentorship for junior technicians.
• Training Deficit: The East African School of Aviation warns that current curricula are lagging behind global standards, particularly in sustainable aviation technologies.
• Safety Risks: A skills gap is not just an economic issue; it is a safety risk. "Safety is engineered into every process," warned Serah Waitiki, emphasizing that shortcuts in training can have catastrophic consequences.

The Call to Action

The conference concluded with a unified plea for a national aviation skills strategy. Stakeholders are calling for a public-private partnership to revamp training institutions, subsidize certification costs for young engineers, and create retention incentives to keep talent in Kenya.

As the government pushes forward with the JKIA master plan, the engineers have drawn their line in the sand. Concrete and steel can build an airport, but only skilled hands and sharp minds can build a hub. Without urgent intervention, Kenya risks having a world-class infrastructure grounded by a third-class workforce.