Engineering

Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical and Production Engineering

The Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical and Production Engineering is a five-year programme that prepares students for professional practice in mechanical design, manufacturing and production systems. Students study thermodynamics, machine design, manufacturing technology, production planning and automation. The programme combines mechanical engineering with production management.

Students develop competencies in mechanical design, manufacturing processes, production planning, quality control, automation and CAD/CAM. They learn to design machines, optimise production lines and manage manufacturing operations. The programme covers engineering mathematics, thermodynamics, machine design, manufacturing technology and production management.

In Kenya, manufacturing is a key sector under Vision 2030. Kenya's push for local manufacturing and industrial development creates demand. The Engineers Board of Kenya regulates the profession. Graduates find roles in manufacturing firms, automotive companies, consulting firms and government agencies.

Teaching is delivered through lectures, laboratory sessions, workshop practice, design projects, industrial attachment and research projects. Students work with machine tools, CNC machines, CAD software and production equipment. The programme includes a final-year design or research project.

Graduates pursue careers as mechanical and production engineers, manufacturing engineers, production managers, quality engineers and automation engineers. Some work for manufacturing companies. Others join consulting firms or start their own enterprises.

This programme is ideal for individuals with mechanical aptitude, analytical skills and interest in manufacturing and production systems.

Duration: 4 years
Public, up to: Ksh 396,000
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 6 months
Average class: 40 students
Award: Bachelor

What you study

10 subjects

Engineering Mathematics
Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer
Machine Design and Dynamics
Manufacturing Technology and Processes
Production Planning and Control
Quality Assurance and Control
Automation and Robotics
CAD/CAM and Computer-Aided Manufacturing
Operations Research and Optimisation
Engineering Management and Economics

Modules

12 in the programme

Engineering Mathematics I
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Engineering Mathematics I: Calculus, linear algebra and differential equations for engineering Covers theoretical foundations, problem-solving techniques, and practical applications.
Engineering Drawing and Workshop Practice
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Engineering Drawing and Workshop Practice: Technical drawing, workshop safety and basic engineering practices Covers theoretical foundations, design principles, and practical engineering applications.
Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Thermodynamic laws, fluid properties and flow analysis. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests,...
Strength of Materials and Mechanics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Stress, strain, material properties and structural analysis. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment t...
Machine Design and Dynamics
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Design of machine elements, kinematics and dynamics. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests, co...
Manufacturing Technology and Processes
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Manufacturing Technology and Processes: Machining, casting, welding, forming and modern manufacturing Covers theoretical foundations, practical applications, and industry-relevant skills.
Production Planning and Control
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Production Planning and Control: Production scheduling, inventory management and capacity planning Covers planning theory, regulatory frameworks, and sustainable development practices.
Quality Assurance and Control
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Quality management systems and statistical process control. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment te...
Automation and Robotics
Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore
Industrial automation, robotic systems and PLC programming. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment te...
CAD/CAM and Computer-Aided Manufacturing
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Computer-aided design, manufacturing and CNC programming. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment test...
Operations Research and Optimisation
Year 4Semester 23 creditsCore
Linear programming, optimisation and decision analysis. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests,...
Final Year Design/Research Project
Year 4Semester 36 creditsCore
Independent engineering design or research project. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests, cou...

Specialisations

Manufacturing Engineering
Specialization in Manufacturing Engineering, preparing graduates for careers such as mechanical-engineer.
Production Management
Specialization in Production Management, preparing graduates for careers such as mechanical-engineer.
Industrial Engineering
Specialization in Industrial Engineering, preparing graduates for careers such as mechanical-engineer.
CAD/CAM
Specialization in CAD/CAM, preparing graduates for careers such as mechanical-engineer. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Quality Engineering
Specialization in Quality Engineering, preparing graduates for careers such as mechanical-engineer. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Automation and Robotics
Specialization in Automation and Robotics, preparing graduates for careers such as mechanical-engineer.

A day as a student

A typical day combines morning lectures on machine design or production planning with afternoon workshop sessions or design projects. Students may operate CNC machines, use CAD software, programme robots or work on production optimisation.

The trade offs

In its favour

High demand in Kenya's manufacturing sector
Combines mechanical engineering with production management
Diverse career paths in manufacturing and consulting
Relevant to Kenya's industrialisation agenda

Against it

Five-year programme requires significant commitment
Requires strong mathematics and physics aptitude
Some industries may be concentrated in urban areas
EBK registration requires additional years of supervised practice

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 332 engineering courses

Public200k to 396k

200k at Technical University of Kenya396k at University of Nairobi

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

TUK 199,500/yr; Moi/KU 336,600/yr; UoN 396K/yr (eafinder, UoN PDF). Private unverified.

Students may access HELB loans and county bursaries. Some manufacturing companies offer industrial attachment stipends.

Funding options

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB)
LoanKsh 60,000
National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF)
Bursary
County Government Bursaries
Bursary

Scholarships

5 recorded

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Kenyan students admitted to recognised universities
County Government Bursaries
BursaryKenyan
Residents of respective counties
Higher Education Fund (HEF)
BursaryKenyan
Kenyan undergraduate students placed by KUCCPS in public universities
Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) Student Scholarships
ScholarshipKenyan
Student members of IEK pursuing accredited engineering programmes
KCDF More Girls for Engineering Opportunities
ScholarshipKenyan
Young women from disadvantaged backgrounds pursuing engineering

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C+
Alternative entry: Relevant diploma or equivalent qualification

Mathematics A
C+
Physics
C+
Chemistry
C+
English or Kiswahili
C+

How you are assessed

4 components

Laboratory Practicals and Assignments
Coursework20% of the mark
Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs)
Coursework20% of the mark
Industrial Attachment Report
Coursework20% of the mark
Final Examination
Coursework40% of the mark

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). EBK registration is required for professional engineering practice in Kenya.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
InstitutionalRequired
Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK)
InstitutionalRequired

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Mechanical and Production Engineer
High demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 300,000
Designs machines and optimises manufacturing processes
Quality Engineer
Moderate demandKsh 70,000 to Ksh 250,000
Manages quality control systems in manufacturing
Automation Engineer
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 320,000
Designs and implements automated production systems
Production Manager
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Manages production operations and quality in manufacturing
Manufacturing Engineer
High demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 280,000
Optimises manufacturing processes and implements automation

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as mechanical and production engineers, manufacturing engineers, production managers, quality engineers and automation engineers in manufacturing firms, automotive companies, consulting firms and government agencies.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

MATLAB
Engineering softwarePrimary
Signal processing and communication simulation.
Atoll
Network planning
Radio network planning and optimisation.
Wireshark
Network analysis
Network protocol analysis.
Microsoft Excel
SpreadsheetPrimary
AutoCAD
DesignPrimary

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Production engineering is just about factory work
Production engineering covers design, automation, quality, planning and technology management.
There are no manufacturing jobs in Kenya
Kenya's industrialisation agenda creates demand for production engineers.
Production engineering is becoming obsolete with automation
Automation increases demand for engineers who can design and manage automated systems.
Mechanical and production engineering is the same as mechanical engineering
The programme adds production planning, quality control and manufacturing management.