Harold R. Fenwick & Associates: Behind one of Kenya’s Leading Quantity Surveying Practices

With more than 40 years in the trade, Harold R. Fenwick & Associates is one of the most established quantity surveying firms in Kenya. The Nairobi-based practice was founded by Mr Harold R. Fenwick in 1972. Mr Fenwick had been a quantity surveyor with the then Ministry of Works where he had risen to the position of Acting Chief Quantity Surveyor and it was upon his retirement that he set up the consultancy.

In 1975, Mr Bashir Hajee, a Building Economics graduate of the University of Nairobi, joined the practice and rapidly rose to Associate status in 1978. Two years later, Mr Hajee was named Partner. In 1988, Mr Fenwick retired from active duty, paving the way for Mr Hajee to take over the firm as Principal, a position he maintains to this day.

Since those days, Harold R. Fenwick has grown steadily as a practice and now employs 17 persons besides the Principal. They include two Senior Quantity Surveyors, seven Assistant Quantity Surveyors and eight Administration personnel. The firm has also significantly grown its portfolio and has over the years undertaken a wide range of projects including commercial buildings, hotels, industrial complexes, factories, warehouses, workshops, semi-industrial buildings, housing estates, multi-storey apartments, town halls, banks, markets, bus-parks, sports clubs, schools, private houses and others. Some of the major projects the firm has handled in recent years include Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel, Sameer Business Park, United Nations Offices and English Point Marina. Among the ongoing projects are the Village Market Expansion, Pride Inn Paradise Hotel, Shanzu and Kwale Sugar Factory. The firm has also undertaken projects in Uganda and Zanzibar.

Services
Services provided include managing all costs relating to construction of a building project from the beginning to end. This entails pre-contract services which include preparing construction cost plans and estimates, preparing and pricing Bills of Quantities, carrying out value engineering, inviting tenders, analyzing tenders received and preparing tender reports and contract documents. Post-contract services include preparing cash flow forecasts for the contracts, attending monthly site meetings/inspections, processing contractor’s applications for payment which includes verifying work done and materials on site, verifying re-measurements and revaluations submitted by the contractor. Others are assessing contractor’s claim for variations to the contract and reporting thereon, preparing regular Financial Appraisals advising on contractual issues and preparing the Final Account following completion of the contract and agreeing with the contractor.

Mission
Harold R. Fenwick & Associates strives to provide the best professional service to ensure that its clients get value for money.

“Our objectives are to ensure that our clients get full benefit of competition in the construction market without compromising the quality of the final product and to give full satisfaction to our clients that their money was well spent”, says Mr Bashir Hajee. “We practice strict professional ethics. Our professional integrity is of paramount importance in serving our clients and ensuring that the projects are completed within the budget.”

Industry Insights

As one of the most experienced practicing professionals in the construction industry, Mr Hajee shared his perspectives on a number of issues affecting the industry.

On the business climate in Kenya, he feels that Quantity Surveying has dramatically changed over the last few decades as more and more graduates are registered. “The handful of Practices that used to rule the roost for many years no longer do so. On the other hand, as the economy expands, there are more and more opportunities available and there is plenty of room for everyone to get a piece of the action which is how it should be.”

On legislation governing the industry, Mr Hajee says: “We have been anxiously waiting for many years for an update of the Architects & Quantity Surveyors Act (Cap 525) which was enacted way back in the 1960s but became outdated years ago. This is now well overdue as currently we do not have a law which is relevant to the present circumstances and market conditions which have radically changed since then.

He however lauds the Government for taking some initiatives to streamline the industry citing the creation of the National Construction Authority (NCA) “to regulate and control construction activities in the country and hopefully reduce the spate of building collapses we have seen in the recent past.”

Mr Hajee feels that the failure to update Cap 525 of the Laws of Kenya has also been responsible for the confusion currently prevailing in the country when it comes to remuneration of professionals. “The scale of fees stipulated under Cap 525 appears to have been long overtaken by changing market conditions and one can only describe the current situation as a free-for-all which unfortunately creates a breeding ground for unethical practices. The situation has been further exacerbated by some of our fellow professionals who as heads of consortiums maximize their own fees at the expense of the other Consultants on project teams. The Board of Registration urgently needs to address this injustice and level the playing field for fair competition and fair remuneration.”

On quality of training in the country, Mr Hajee (B.A., Building Economics, Hons.), M.A.A.K. (Q.S.), C.I.Q.S.K., A.C.I. ARB. RQS), notes that the University of Nairobi has been instrumental in producing Q.S. graduates for many years and it is now joined by several other universities and institutions offering degree or diploma courses.

“Such courses certainly lay the foundation for aspiring Q.S.s in terms of academic knowledge but the test comes when the graduates enter the real world to put their knowledge into practice. This sudden transition can be substantially softened if the students have undergone internships with practicing firms where they have access to Q.S. software and undergo on-the-job training.

He says that Harold R. Fenwick & Associates has for many years adopted a policy of engaging at least two such students on attachment every year. “In many instances, we end up employing them on a permanent basis once they graduate. One thing that has been very impressive is the speed and enthusiasm with which our tech-savvy young and upcoming Q.S.s take to ICT and adapt it to productive use. I am of the opinion that the quality of our young professionals can match the best in the world.”