EngPlan Consulting Engineers: Pioneering Structural and Civil Engineering Excellence in Kenya
EngPlan Consulting Engineers, a leading Kenyan engineering firm, has established itself as a key player in Kenya’s civil engineering sector since its inception in 2006. With expertise in structural engineering, the firm has expanded to include water and wastewater engineering, master planning, and logistics and warehousing projects. EngPlan is at the forefront of engineering innovation in Kenya, focusing on structural optimization to enhance sustainability by reducing material waste and carbon footprints.
The company has contributed to significant affordable housing projects in Kenya, as well as youth housing initiatives, responding to growing demands in the private and government sectors. Kenya’s infrastructure development remains a priority, with EngPlan participating in transformative civil works that address critical needs, such as water and sanitation.
Looking ahead, EngPlan has ambitious goals for regional growth, including venturing into the DRC and Rwanda. They aim to leverage partnerships in African engineering and expand their service offerings to include mechanical and electrical solutions, solidifying their reputation as a one-stop shop for engineering. Succession planning and mentorship are also integral to their vision, ensuring a pipeline of skilled engineers to sustain the firm’s success.
With a track record of delivering innovative solutions for clients like USIU University and Acorn Holdings, EngPlan continues to shape Kenya’s engineering landscape, positioning itself as a trusted partner in civil engineering trends across Eastern Africa.
Can you briefly give us an overview ,a background of EngPlan Consulting Engineers Limited and the services that you offer ?
We are an engineering consulting firm that commenced operations in 2006. Our primary strengths lie in structural and civil engineering, with a strong foundation in structural engineering due to my background. Over the years, we have worked across various sectors, including hotels, hospitals, commercial buildings, and similar projects.
In 2016, we expanded our civil works department. Initially, we focused on structures and the related civil works. However, from 2016, we began offering additional services, such as water and wastewater engineering, master planning, and some highway engineering. This marked a significant broadening of our civil engineering offerings.
Our competitive advantage is our extensive experience, particularly in Kenya’s private sector. We excel in serving corporate clients, high-end residential projects, warehousing, and logistics. We have worked with some of the largest companies in Kenya. Additionally, we are skilled in design optimization, offering innovative and adaptive solutions, including the use of advanced software. We are also highly responsive to the needs of our clients and the architects we collaborate with.
What are the trends and challenges with the sector?
From when we started in 2006 up until 2018, there was significant development in high-end residentials and corporates building their headquarters, which created substantial business in those areas. Hospitality also grew, with more hotels being built.
From 2018 onwards, commercial buildings have declined, with fewer office developments. Hospitality continues to rise, and Kenya remains a destination for hospitality. Logistics is also growing, with an increase in warehousing. Affordable housing has become a major focus in the last four years, and these areas are expanding.
In infrastructure, there is more focus on water and sanitation, an area that previously received little attention in Kenya, but there is now more investment. Currently, there is a lull in government development, and the past year has seen limited progress. This has led to a downturn in the sector.
What is your story regarding sustainability in your business?
We are intentional about sustainability. One of the ways we achieve this in engineering is through optimization to reduce wastage. For example, when designing and showing reinforcement, we calculate it to avoid wastage of reinforcement on site. Another area where we optimize is cement. Different cements have varying levels of embodied carbon. We use cement with higher embodied carbon more selectively and opt for those with lower embodied carbon.
In Kenya, we are fortunate to have great weather, so from an energy services perspective, there is less need for high cooling or heating, which contributes to sustainability. In structural and civil engineering, we focus primarily on materials—what materials we use, how they are manufactured, and the transport involved, particularly for larger infrastructure projects. These factors are intentional, and we seek materials that are readily available near the construction site.
What are your expansion plans in your business ?
As I mentioned, we are viewing expansion as a risk mitigation factor, and there are other areas in the Eastern Africa region that are growing. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one such area, largely unexplored from a Kenyan perspective, though some Kenyan corporates are already operating there. We are planning a scouting mission in early 2025 to explore the possibilities in that region. In the meantime, I need to recruit a French-speaking engineer to lead our efforts in that area.
Rwanda has been receptive to Kenya, and many projects that take Kenyans to other countries are often led by Kenyan corporates already operating there. Since we have some work in Rwanda, we hope that this will allow us to undertake the project and also explore other opportunities in the region.
The DRC is where we are venturing without an existing project. However, in Rwanda and Tanzania, we already have ongoing projects, and we are hopeful that these will provide us with further opportunities to expand our work in those countries.
What type of investment are you seeking for expansion?
To achieve our goals, we are open to forming partnerships with AIDA or European companies looking to enter Africa. Instead of setting up their own offices, these companies could use EngPlan as a springboard to expand.
In terms of working abroad, we have primarily relied on local or joint venture (JV) partnerships for specific projects. However, to explore setting up an office, we would seek other partners to join us. This is not something we have fully developed yet, so I do not have something tangible to share, but it is definitely something we plan to explore further in the coming year.
What are some of the projects you’ve worked on and want to highlight?
Currently, we have several ongoing projects, including a number in affordable housing, which is being driven by both the private sector and the government. We are working with both sectors on projects in Nairobi and across the country. Additionally, we have projects in logistics and warehousing. We are also working on a master plan for a 200-acre land close to Nairobi, where we are conducting a business case to assess the viability of the project. This is an exciting development, and we hope it will progress into a major project.
Another area we’ve been involved with is youth housing or student housing. There has been an increasing demand for housing for students and young people after college, and we’ve been working on these projects for several years.
In terms of flagship projects, we are proud to be the engineers of choice for many of our clients, which has resulted in repeat business. For example, we have undertaken three to four projects for USIU University over the last 10 years. We have also worked with Acorn Holdings, a leader in youth housing, on about six projects in the last four to five years. Additionally, we’ve worked with Ati Water on several water and sanitation projects. These repeat clients are a testament to our reliability, performance, and strong relationships with our partners.
What will you like to achieve in the next 5 years in your business?
One goal is expansion into the region, and another is expanding the services we offer. We have been strong in structural and civil engineering, but there are still additional services we can provide within that scope. Additionally, we aim to become a one-stop shop for engineering by incorporating mechanical and electrical services and broadening our service offerings.
Another key focus is succession planning. While it may not happen in the next five years, within 10 years, I plan to transition out of the CEO or managing director role to a younger leader. This involves building a team and creating a succession pipeline.
To summarize, my three main objectives over the next eight years are regional expansion, service diversification, and succession planning.
What inspires you to pursue a career in the engineering sector?
Engineering, for me, is about building things. I enjoy seeing ideas transform into tangible structures, whether it’s a building, a road, or water systems. I find the challenge of deconstructing a concept and turning it into something people can use fascinating.
I also enjoy growing people. At EngPlan, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring individuals who have gone on to become registered, well-known engineers in Kenya, and that fills me with pride.
Additionally, I sit on the professional engineering examination body, which is an international body. We interview engineers to help them become registered, and this keeps me connected to the engineering developments in the country. I find it rewarding, as I enjoy the challenge and the continuous learning that engineering offers.
FAIR USE POLICY
This material (including media content) may not be published, broadcasted, rewritten, or redistributed. However, linking directly to the page (including the source, i.e. Marcopolis.net) is permitted and encouraged.