Gill Consult is an electrical and mechanical engineering firm based in Nairobi, Kenya.From humble beginnings in December 1996, the firm has built a reputation as one of the most reliable services engineering consultancies in the country. This year, it will be marking two decades in the industry – no mean feat in a sector that is highly competitive and whose dynamics are constantly changing.
The man behind Gill Consult is Eng. Gilbert Mwalimo, CEng FCIBSE, a Chartered Engineer (UK) and a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (UK). In an interview with CR a few years ago, Eng. Mwalimo explained that like most other start-ups, Gill Consult faced an arduous task in the formative days mainly because most large clients would find the firm too young and therefore possibly inexperienced to handle their projects. Fast forward to 2016 and Gill Consult is solidly entrenched in the engineering industry. Now with a team of five electrical engineers, two mechanical engineers and a technician, the firm is well leveraged to undertake projects of varying magnitude and complexity and has indeed done so over the last couple of years.
A complete range of services
Gill Consult provides the full range of services one would expect from a top-notch engineering practice. These fall under mechanical and electrical engineering.
Mechanical Engineering
The firm offers technical studies, design, supervision and preparation of specifications and contracts documents for development projects e.g. schools, hospitals, research institutes, multipurpose halls, cinemas, production and process factories, libraries and laboratories. It also designs operating and maintenance systems for various institutions like hospitals, international conference centres, etc.
The more common services provided cover the following:
- Plumbing and drainage including sanitary fittings, hot and cold water supply systems
- Fire protection equipment and sprinkler installations
- Boilers and steam services
- Incinerators
- Refrigeration
- Lift Equipment
- Kitchen and Laundry Equipment
- Gas Installation
- Vacuum systems
- Solar and wind energy
- Air conditioning and ventilation
- Conveyor systems
- Dust Extraction Systems
- Industrial and Laboratories services e.g. compressed air, fume cupboard etc.
Electrical Engineering
Gill Consult undertakes feasibility and technical studies, design, preparation of specifications, contract documents and supervision of construction for high-rise office building complexes, schools, hospitals, factories and housing development projects.
The services provided include:
- Building Management Systems
- High Voltage installations including transformer stations
- Generator installations, duty and stand by
- Automatic control systems
- Lifts, hoists and escalators installations
- Lighting installations
- Emergency and security lighting systems, battery and charger systems
- Hospital installations, operating theatres, X-ray protection, screened rooms
- Inter communication and public address systems
- Fire alarm systems
- Telephone and intercom installations
- Simultaneous translation equipment and installations
- Structured Cabling for Voice and Data
- MATV and Interactive TV
- Lightning protection
- Security systems e.g. IPCCTV, PIR, Access Control, Man Traps etc.
According to Eng. Mwalimo, Gill Consult, use of advanced information technology and certification by standardization bodies are two of the attributes that make the firm stand out in the competitive industry. Gill Consult is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified organization. In its day to day operations, the firm uses Autodesk Building Design Suite, Premium, which is an advanced Building Information Modelling (BIM) software that allows seamless exchange of design information between the consultants, clients and contractors and also facilitates the full 3D graphic presentation of projects.
Major Projects
Gill Consult has undertaken numerous projects over the last twenty years including outside Kenya. Some of the key jobs recently awarded to the firm in Kenya include the following multi-billion shilling projects:
- Proposed Wrigley Gum Manufacturing Facility, Athi River, (Ksh 6 billion)
- Proposed Mixed Use Development for Safaricom Staff Pension Scheme’s Mixed Use Development
(Ksh 3.4 billion)
- Karibu Homes, Athi River – a multi-billion shillings project
- Phenom Park – a multi billion shillings project
- Lavington Mall
Others include projects for General Electric Company (GEC); United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON); Rockefeller Foundation; Oracle; VISA International and GlaxoSmithKline. Other clients include Aga Khan University; Ecobank Kenya Ltd; National Bank of Kenya Ltd; The Nairobi Hospital (Cath Lab); The Nairobi Securities Exchange; All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi; Ministry of Housing; Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development; Kenya Industrial Estates and Kenya Reinsurance Corporation Ltd.
Outside Kenya, the firm has completed the following projects:
- Rwanda Social Security Headquarters (Caisse Sociale Du Rwanda Headquarters)
· Hotel Ihusi, Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Shomi Apartments in Mwanza, Tanzania
According to Eng. Mwalimo, during the 20 years Gill Consult has been in service, the most memorable moment was in 2003 when the firm submitted several proposals for various projects to the Ministry of Housing and won four of the key projects. These were: Ngara Civil Servants housing scheme Phase I (Ksh 300 million); Ngara Civil Servants housing scheme Phase II (Ksh 1.8 billion); Kibera Decanting Scheme (Slum Upgrading Project) – Ksh 650 million and Mavoko Sustainable Development Housing Scheme (Ksh 1 billion).
Industry Perspectives
Having practiced engineering in Kenya for three decades, Eng. Mwalimo observes that the profession faces certain challenges. Among them is lack of adequate skilled personnel. “Universities do not produce electrical and mechanical engineers with skills in Building Services Engineering”, he says. “If you hire a fresh graduate, you have to train them from scratch. Most engineering firms are small and do not have adequate training budgets to, say, train an engineer for a minimum of three years.” Another sector that, according to the engineer also suffers from a shortage of skill, is plumbing. He suggests that universities train Building Services Engineers. He also believes there should be structured training and thereafter licensing of qualified plumbers.
Eng. Mwalimo cites the high cost of land as another problem that bedevils the industry. Prohibitive land prices make development expensive and ultimately unaffordable to end users. He also decries the tendency to launch projects without proper feasibility studies, a factor that often leads to project failure. Other projects lack proper financing and thus end up stalling, he says.
Future
Looking ahead, Eng. Mwalimo expects to open offices in other countries of the East African Community and beyond. By providing excellent electrical and mechanical engineering solutions, he hopes to replicate the success Gill Consult has enjoyed in Kenya.
