Nairobi court halts KeNHA recruitment of 27 graduate engineers

The Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi has granted interim orders suspending the recruitment of 27 graduate engineers by the Kenya National Highways Authority. Justice J.N. Abuodha issued the conservatory orders on December 31, 2025, following a petition filed by the Institution of Engineering Technologists of Kenya.

The petition argues that KeNHA's requirement for applicants to be registered with the Engineers Board of Kenya excludes those registered with the Kenya Engineering Technologists Registration Board.

KeNHA had advertised the positions on December 2, 2025, requiring a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree and registration as graduate engineers with EBK. The authority later extended the application deadline from December 22 to December 29, 2025.

Both the Institution of Engineering Technologists and the Kenya Engineering Technologists Registration Board wrote to KeNHA on December 4, 2025, raising concerns about the registration condition and calling it  discriminatory. KeNHA did not respond to the letters before the deadline extension.

The court certified the matter as urgent and directed that KeNHA be served, with 14 days allowed for a response. No interviews had taken place at the time of the ruling, and the judge noted that halting the process would cause no prejudice to the authority while preventing potential irreparable harm. The orders remain in place until January 19, 2026, when the case returns for mention and directions on further hearing.

Institution of Engineering Technologists president Bibiye Mahmoud said the EBK requirement effectively barred their members from applying, as they fall under KETRB regulation. Through their lawyer Benedict Wachira, the petitioners maintained that state agencies must respect both regulatory bodies established by Parliament.

Similar disputes over qualifications have surfaced in past recruitment drives by other road agencies in Kenya.