GIS and Drone Mapping: online course for Kenya
Learn to capture, analyse and present location data with QGIS, satellite imagery and drone mapping. It is aimed at Kenyan graduates in geography, geospatial engineering, planning, agriculture and environmental science, and at county and project staff who work with maps.
Course fee KSh 19,300 · or start with KSh 1,930 · pay with M-Pesa · Card
Payments in Kenya open soon. The first lesson is free to try now.
Who this course is for in Kenya
It is written for graduates, students on industrial attachment and young professionals. No previous experience is needed.
- Graduates in geography, geospatial or survey studies, planning, agriculture or environmental science
- County government and NGO staff working on spatial plans, land use or service delivery
- Field teams in agriculture, energy and construction who collect location data
Where these skills are used in Kenya
The course's industry pathways most relevant here: Agriculture · Energy · Infrastructure.
- Agriculture
- Mapping farms, crop health and water use with satellite indices and drone imagery.
- Energy
- Site selection and environmental baselines for geothermal, wind, solar and transmission projects.
- Infrastructure and counties
- Roads, housing and utilities planning, and the county spatial plans that county governments prepare.
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Kenyan laws and regulators to know
The lessons are the same in every country and use Nigerian regulation as their worked examples. They teach the principles, not Kenya’s law in detail, so read these alongside the course:
- Civil Aviation (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Regulations, 2020
- Kenya's drone rules, administered by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA): drones are registered, and a remote pilot licence is needed for medium- and high-risk operations.
- Survey of Kenya
- The national mapping and survey agency; cadastral surveys are carried out by licensed surveyors.
What you’ll learn
| Day | Topic |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | GIS fundamentals, raster and vector data, getting started in QGIS |
| Day 2 | Coordinate systems, projections, UTM and map design |
| Day 3 | Spatial data sources, quality and storage |
| Day 4 | Remote sensing, spectral indices and change detection |
| Day 5 | Drone types, regulation and flight planning |
| Day 6 | Photogrammetry, orthomosaics, point clouds and 3D products |
| Day 7 | Spatial analysis and thematic mapping |
| Day 8 | Planning and delivering a GIS project |
| Day 9 | Industry applications and your sector capstone |
Every lesson is illustrated and has a matching video. Each day ends with a short quiz and an assignment, and the course finishes with a capstone project you can show employers. It is self-paced with lifetime access, and you can try the first lesson free before paying.
Your certificate, and what it isn’t
The course teaches drone flight planning and mapping. It does not give you a KCAA remote pilot licence, and it does not make you a licensed surveyor. Your Paleon certificate of completion shows the GIS and drone-mapping work you have done.
When you finish, including the capstone, we help you write a CV that presents your project as real work, and provide a reference confirming what you completed. We teach skills; we don’t promise jobs.
Who runs the course
Paleon Training Limited is an online training company registered in Nigeria (Warri, Delta State), with operations in the United Kingdom. There is no Paleon office in Kenya: the course is taught entirely online, and you can reach us by WhatsApp on +44 7508 823495 or at hello@paleontraining.com.
Frequently asked questions
Which software does it use?
QGIS, which is free, plus free satellite imagery sources.
Do I need my own drone?
No. Sample drone data is used for the mapping exercises.
Does it cover KCAA drone rules?
The regulation lesson uses Nigeria's rules as the worked example. Before flying for work in Kenya, read the Civil Aviation (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Regulations, 2020 and check the KCAA's requirements.
How much is it?
KSh 19,300, or start with a KSh 1,930 deposit. Pay by M-Pesa or card.