Engineering consultancy in Kenya registration requirements

Engineering consultancy in Kenya has been doing a lot especially in the building and construction field because the consultants are most responsible for the designing and building of most roads and buildings in the country.

Engineering consultancy in Kenya

There are some rules and regulations though, which govern these engineering consultancy firms in the country and before you conform to these rules and regulations you cannot practice as one. One of these rules is that you have to register your firm with the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK).

What is EBK

The Engineers Board of Kenya is a statutory body established under section 3(1) of the Engineers Act 2011. The board has the overall mandate of developing and regulating engineering practice in Kenya. 

The development and regulation of engineering practice is considered as a key component to the achievement of infrastructure foundation under the countries Vision 2030 development blueprint.

The board which is a successor to the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) was established by the Engineers Registration Act cap 530 of 1969.

The mandates of the Board

The Engineer’s Board of Kenya is mandated with the responsibility of;

·         Regulating standards in the engineering profession

·         Building capacity for individual engineers and engineering firms

·         Registering engineers and engineering firms

·         Regulating their conduct for improved performance of the engineering profession

·         Development of the general practice of engineering

    

Requirements for registering as an engineering consultancy firm in Kenya

 Subject the provisions of the Engineers Act; a person may register an engineering consultancy firm if;

Ø  The firm has a certificate of registration of a business name or certificate of incorporation.

Ø  At least fifty one percent of the shares in the firm are held by a Kenyan citizen

Ø  It has at least one partner or principal shareholder who is registered as consulting engineer and who has a valid licence in a specified discipline.

Ø  He fulfils any other condition as may be stipulated by the board.

The board may register engineering consulting firms in different categories and disciplines based on a criteria which shall be established by the Board.

A person who wishes to register an engineering consulting firm having met the above conditions may apply to the Registrar, in a prescribed form which shall;

Ø  Provide the firms profile of activities

Ø  Provide curriculum vitas of directors or partners

Ø  Be accompanied with such documents as are necessary to prove qualification for registration

Ø  Be accompanied with a written commitment that the board shall be allowed to verify the suitability of the firm for the purposes of registration.

The board may however require the applicant to furnish such further information or evidence of eligibility for registration as it may consider necessary and may require that the applicant appears in person for an interview before the board.

After fulfilling all the above requirements the engineering firm will then be free to start practicing. It will then start by applying for services but still it will have to register with the necessary board according to the sector they wish to venture in. For example if the firm wishes to offer services in the road sector then it will be forced to register with the ministry of roads.

These firms have the ability to change the face of our country through the construction of beautiful and strong buildings and good roads which could in turn improve our countries economy. If the laws governing the field were to be changed to favor it then engineering consultancy in Kenya is the field to watch in the coming days.