EA engineers to gain local access to advanced industrial automation training

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Engineers in East Africa will no longer need to travel overseas to gain specialised training in advanced industrial automation systems following the launch of a new hands-on training facility in Nairobi, Synkron Training Center.

For years, engineers working in manufacturing plants, power stations and industrial processing facilities across the region have often had to travel to Europe or Asia to receive training on complex automation technologies used to operate and maintain modern industrial systems.

While the training helped build technical expertise, the cost and travel requirements meant only a limited number of engineers could access such programmes.

The new training centre seeks to address that gap by providing practical, local instruction in technologies increasingly central to industrial operations, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs), variable-frequency drives (VFDs), industrial control systems, and automation diagnostics.

Engineers will train using the same equipment commonly used in modern factories and energy facilities, allowing them to gain hands-on experience in troubleshooting and maintaining automated systems.

Dedan Kimathi University of Technology Center for Development of Electronic Devices manager Julius Karanja said engineers in the country will gain hands-on expertise.

“For many engineers in this region, advanced industrial training has traditionally required travelling overseas. That limits how many people can access these skills,” Karanja said.

“Bringing this capability closer to home allows more engineers to develop practical expertise and apply these technologies where they are needed most.”

Automation technologies have become increasingly important in modern industry, where digital control systems regulate production lines, energy generation and industrial processing.

Engineers trained in these systems are responsible for maintaining operations and resolving faults that can halt production.

“Advanced industrial technologies can only deliver their full value when the people operating them have the right skills,” Siemens East Africa regional head Rachel Lutwama said.

“Expanding access to world-class automation training locally will help build the technical capacity needed to support industry across the region.”

Kenya and several neighbouring countries have been seeking to expand manufacturing and industrial production as part of broader economic development strategies.

Stakeholders said achieving those goals will require a larger pool of engineers with specialised technical skills.

The new facility will offer certification programmes and technical workshops designed to prepare engineers to operate and maintain automated systems used in industrial environments.

Participants who complete the programmes will receive certifications recognised by international technology companies.

The training center has been established by industrial automation firm Synkron Africa, which says it plans to use the facility to expand knowledge transfer to engineers working in industries across East Africa.

The organisation has delivered automation and engineering projects in dozens of African countries over the past decade, including systems used by manufacturers and utilities.

KenGen Operations General Manager Julius Odumbe said reliable power generation depends as much on skilled engineers as it does on modern equipment.

Odumbe said that technical expertise among engineers is critical in ensuring power generation systems run efficiently and safely, particularly as technology used in energy infrastructure becomes more complex.

Speaking during the launch of the training facility in Nairobi, Odumbe noted that while utilities can invest heavily in machinery and digital control systems, the performance of such equipment ultimately depends on the people operating and maintaining it.

“Equipment can be purchased and systems installed, but performance excellence comes from well-trained minds and committed professionals. We have generators that have served us for over 40 years. When people see that record, they wonder how it has been possible, but it is because of the kind of human resources we have,” he said.

Odumbe said engineers at power plants play a central role in ensuring that generation equipment operates reliably over long periods.

He noted that some of KenGen’s power generation units have remained operational for more than four decades due to consistent maintenance by experienced technical teams.

Synkron Africa CEO Kenneth Mantu said engineers from the region have built a strong reputation for supporting complex automation projects across Africa.

“We’ve seen first-hand how skilled engineers from East Africa help maintain and optimise industrial systems in factories, power plants, and critical infrastructure across the continent,” he said.

“This training center allows us to scale that expertise, enabling more engineers to gain advanced automation skills locally and ensuring that knowledge continues to grow within the region.”