Abstract:
Agricultural engineering has been aptly described as a career for all seasons, denoting the fact that
humanity can hardly survive comfortably without the services, products and goods provided by
agricultural engineers. However, in the past 20 years there have been several developments in industry
and academia which are inimical and detrimental to continued existence of agricultural engineering as a
discipline in the universities and as a career in industry. Former agricultural engineering departments
have acquired new names and curricula have been reviewed severally, ostensibly to make the course
relevant to industry and attractive to potential undergraduates. Agricultural engineering graduates have
faced a professional identity crisis since employers and statutory registration bodies have been
extremely reluctant to recognize them as engineers. The objective of this paper is to identify the causes
of, and possible remedies for the professional identity crisis that agricultural engineers face in Kenya. A
literature review on the genesis of the problem is presented and the possible way to the future is
explored. The opinions of the author on the issue, based on his observations and experiences as an
agricultural engineer are presented. Apart from the huge remit of agricultural engineering as a degree
programme, institutional and staff weaknesses are identified as major causes of the professional
identity crisis. The author calls on agricultural engineers to promote and protect their identity as the
most suitable engineers for agriculture and rural development. It is reaffirmed that agricultural
engineering as a name is still the most logical, relevant and appropriate title for engineers who want to
apply their expertise in agriculture and rural development.
