volume 4 issue 016, may - june 2015

East Africa Infrastructure & Engineering Review | May / June 201544

LEADING paint manufacturer, Crown Paints Kenya, has introduced a first of its kind mobile application in the market that will make it easier for customers to make a more accurate selection of their preferred home interior colour scheme. The app dubbed Crown Colour App, will be available on both the Google Play Store as well as the Apple Store.

The company Managing Director Rakesh Rao said that by launching the mobile application, Crown Paints has embraced the technological possibilities of the 21st century for the paints and adhesives market.

“Paint colours have become very vibrant, exciting and unique and the consumer is increasingly involved in the choice of colour they pay for. The Crown Colour App gives consumers the flexibility to choose a colour of their choice and the comfort in knowing that they can get that exact shade,” he added.

The launch of the Crown Colour App is a testament of Crown Paints contin-ued market dominance with innova-

tive products and services that meet customer needs and requirements.

“This mobile app makes our entire range of colours easily accessible to customers wherever they may be located. All the shade cards we have at our showrooms, can now be viewed by customers virtually. We believe that the Crown Colour App will greatly enhance customer ease, convenience and cre-ativity,” said Mr. Rao.

Users will be able to navigate through more than 1,000 colours and search for any colour by name and code in the ambience colour chart. They can also browse pre-installed home interior im-ages or take a picture from their phone camera to retrieve and identify colours.

“The app can detect the difference between wall space, furniture and fix-tures and paints around contours in real time as long as the user does not move too much. The app takes into account the light in the frame and adjusts the colour of the wall accordingly, so you can see what it will look like in genuine ambient settings rather than just pres-

ent a blanket slab of colour,” Mr. Rao added.

With these capabilities, Mr. Rao add-ed that the colour app will also appeal to professionals in different fields that work with colours, ranging from fashion designers, stylists and graphic designers, since it will give the exact colour code.

“Housewives, painters, professionals among others can download and use this application, not only for painting purposes, but also for other engage-ments that may require accuracy in colour.”

Users can save their favourite colours for future review or share with their friends colour names and codes via SMS, Email, WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook or Twitter.

Upon settling on the choice of colour, existing and potential customers can visit the showrooms to place their orders. Crown Paints has established various showrooms that give the consumer an opportunity to interact with the products and have a look and feel of the actual products.

ANOTHER FIRST: Crown Paints introduces mobile app to enable

users choose the right paint colour

The launch of the Crown Colour App is a testament of Crown Paints continued market dominance with innovative products and services that meet customer needs and requirements.

FEATURE / TECHNOLOGY

Crown Paints Managing Director, Rakesh Rao

1

Editorial...

Editor Eric Obwogi

Advertising Executives Eric Mogire - Kenya

Jobunga Ndere - UgandaW. Minga - Tanzania

Eva Gichohi - Rwanda

Photographer Samson Wire

Media Manager - East AfricaPeter Acham

Design & LayoutTed Ojijo

[email protected]

Published & Printed by Spako Media LimitedP.O. Box 4517-00100

Nairobi, Kenya. Tel: +254-20-2395373Cell: +254-712-896013

+254-773-547046

E-mail: [email protected]: www.eainfrastructure-engineer.com

East Africa Infrastructure & Engineering Review Journal is published bi-monthly and is circulated to members of relevant associations governmental bodies and other personnel in

the building & construction industry as well as suppliers of plant and equipment, materials and

services in East Africa.

The Editor welcomes articles and photographs for consideration. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission

from the publisher. The publisher does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or authenticity of advertisements

or contributions contained in this journal. Views expressed by the contributors are not

necessarily those of the publisher.© All rights reserved.

The need for a robust human resource base in the construction industry

The Kenya construction and infrastructure sector is anticipating a growth of 9% year-on-year in 2015. The growth in the sector is ex-pected to remain over a 10-year forecast period to 2024. The country has in the recent past rolled out massive road annuity infrastructure program that would together see construction and/or rehabilitation of

10, 000km of roads. New frontiers have been opened up for development as a result.

The country’s property market has also witnessed unprecedented growth, with demand for housing at its highest ever, with the deficit in annual delivery of new units estimated at a conservative 150, 000. Both the public and private sector are playing their role in trying to plug this shortfall. Business is good for construction and infrastructure development materials and equipment manu-facturers and marketers, as growth of the market hits a heightened crescendo.

Professional Consultancies have reported brisk business as they steer the sector forward, providing crucial lead services and facilitating qualitative guid-ance to development. Indeed this area is well catered for and the country has a substantial number of highly qualified and experienced professionals in all relevant cadres, the universities and colleges continue churning out graduates into the construction sector each year.

Gaps have however emerged in key technical support services, as reported by practitioners in architectural and engineering firms.

While there are new graduates being added to the industry each year, industry players note that there are growing skill gaps that need to be plugged. Some of these have been created with the recent trend where most universities have established links with middle level colleges where skilled technicians were trained to back up professionals like architects and engineers. A source within the industry says that currently, a ratio of 1 to 4 architects is the norm. This is not a healthy ratio because the work load of technicians cannot be underesti-mated. As growth the property development industry hits an all-time high, so is the pressure to meet timelines and hit targets. Professionals continue to decry, with good reason, the conversion of East Africa’s best polytechnic (the Kenya Polytechnic) into a university, Technical University of Kenya (TUK).

The recent directive by the government of Kenya for Universities to delink themselves from middle-level colleges is a move in the right direction. Let the universities do their stuff, and the colleges play their role of training technicians. A career in the technician category should not be looked down upon as these individuals play a crucial role in developing Kenya’s built environment.

Perhaps consideration should also be given to the suggestion that students aspiring to be professionals in the construction industry be allowed to get a feel of the industry early, by being practically involved in the real work while they are still in school. Courses should be designed and supervised to ensure that attention is paid to their weak areas, while they also receive inspiration and mentorship from established professionals. It has been observed that there is a distinct mismatch between expectations of universities and what firms give to graduates during internship. This also has a bearing on the graduate’s orienta-tion to their chosen profession, and the time which they take to achieve their ambitions.

There should also be clear guidelines on areas to be trained on, in line with desired professional leaning. It is also important for institutions of higher learn-ing and relevant professional bodies to liaise closely so as to ensure that the curriculum is engineered to place graduates in sync with the market demand.

Eric Obwogi,Editor.


CONTENTS

Kenya construction and infrastructure sector

to grow by 9% this yeara 3

UAP group’s Equatorial Towers in Juba almost

complete 6

Intershelter Sullivan Architects’ Growing into the

future with confidence 19

Ethiopia: Oromia lays foundation for a sports

complex project 23

A new player to enter cement production in Kenya 27

Apex Steel: Innovation ahead of time 33

Parbat Siyani Interiors Limited 35

Davis & Shirtliff launches Dow High-Tech

Water Treatment in the region 37

How to Install a Concrete Countertop 39

US$ 60m hydroelectric power plant for Burundi 42

Crown Paints introduces mobile app to enable

users choose the right paint colour 44

7

17

37

23

inside...

East Africa Infrastructure & Engineering Review | May / June 2015 43

Construction at the Kinyerezi III power plant, one of a set of four Tanzanian gas-powered power plants being built in

the Kinyerezi area in Dar es Salaam to extend the country’s power generation capacity, is set for December 2014. The first stage of the project will comprise two 180-MWh units, with a planned second stage to put the plant’s final output at 600 MWh.

The Shanghai Electric Power Com-pany, which is the parent company of ShangTan Power Generation, owns a 60-percent share in the plant and pre-dicts that the first of the two 180-MWh units should come online on the end of 2015. The second unit of the first stage should be connected in mid-2016.

GENERATED DEVELOPMENT: Fol-lowing the conclusion of the project, the output will be directed to a 400-KV substation, under development in the Kinyerezi area, and from there, con-nected to the national grid.

As a part of a four-power-plant com-plex, Kinyerezi III falls under national electricity company Tanesco’s overall power generation expansion develop-ment plan, structured around hydro-power, coal and gas, which should both help to curb the limitations of the coun-try’s power generation market, and also release it from an expensive dependency on heavy-fuel-based generation.

“In contrast to our usual working grounds, here in Tanzania we are tasked with creating a concrete and detailed study of the basis of engineering and construction work, which in China has always been done before the project was planned,” a Tanzanian represen-tative of the Shanghai Electric Power Company told TOGY. “This had an impact in defining the timeframe of the project, but we are confident that we will be able to correspond to the demands of the government,” they added.

Kinyerezi I, being built by Norway’s Jacobsen Elektro, will have a capacity of 150 MW and come online by the end of 2014. Kinyerezi II, developed by Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation, is expected to come online by December 2015 and will have a capacity of 240 MW. Meanwhile, the 450-MW Kinyerezi IV, developed by the Poly Group of China, should be contributing to the national grid by June 2015.

PROJECT TIMEFRAME: The joint-ven-ture agreement between the Shanghai Electric Power Company and state-owned Tanesco, which assumes the remaining 40-percent share, was signed on October 24, 2013. The memoran-dum of understanding was signed in July 2013. The feasibility studies were concluded in July 2014 and the initial design engineering and tendering processes were underway as of August 2014. At that point, the timeframe for the second stage of engineering, pro-curement and construction development was still under discussion.

A STEP FORWARD: This is the first Tanzanian project that the Shanghai Electric Power Company is involved in and aligns with an increasingly strong relationship between both the Tanzanian and Chinese governments, as well as with Tanesco’s plan to expand its power generation capacity and curb the coun-try’s recurrent power shortages.

“While this is Shanghai Electric Power Company’s first collaboration with the Tanzanian government, we envision a future extension to this co-operation, as we see endless potential for gas-fired power generation units in the region,” the company’s representative said.

The drafting of the contract for the Kinyerezi power plant development was included in a number of contracts signed with Chinese players includ-ing a power transmission line to join the national grid from Dar es Salaam to Arusha, with a capacity of 400 KV and to be completed by Tabiau Electric Apparatus Stock at a cost of $692.7 million, the development of the Rumakai hydro-power project in the Northern Highlands region to be undertaken by the China Gezhouba Group Corpora-tion, and the Masigira hydropower project in Masigira, a $136-million development between local company Mkonge Energy Systems and China’s national hydropower company Sino-hydro.

Outside the energy industry, projects for housing developments and other infrastructural developments were also agreed in October 2013, a historical moment for Sino-Tanzanian relations. In total, over this single set of agreements, Chinese companies will be investing around $1.7 billion in infrastructure-related projects in Tanzania.

Construction at the Kinyerezi III power plant

ENERGY / EAST AFRICA


In an effort to diversify its sources of power, the Tanzania government is seeking US$ 132million loan fund from the Export Import of China (EximBank) in order to fund their wind farm project. The power project is expected to have a capacity of 50MW within a year, with the plans to raise this to 300MW in future.

The country heavily depends on hydro-electricity power, natural gas and

fuel oil for electricity generation and has sought to invest in additional sources of energy to already existing ones.

Tanzania minister for energy and minerals says that the government is already finalizing talks with the China’s EximBank on low-interest conditions in relation to the wind farm project.

The wind farm project is expected to be developed in central town of Singida, which is to generate capacity of 50MW

by 2016 Phase I and 150MW after second Phase.

The project was first commissioned to begin in the year 2013 but this was not to pass since the country did not have adequate finances.

The wind farm project is a joint venture between the state-run National Development Corporation state-owned utility Tanesco and privately held power pool East Africa limited.

Tanzania’s ambitious wind farm project from

Burundi is set to start works on the construction of a US$ 60m

hydroelectric power station that will aim at reinforcing the energy sector in the country.

The power plant- Kagu 006 hydroelectric plant which is located in Cibitote, five kilometres from Bujumbura town was created under a public and private partner-ship project (PPP) which is a better agreement that will see it come to birth.

“The development will be a hydro-electric power plant with a water facility

having an installed capacity of 12 MW. 45-50 GWH1 of energy yield will be produced yearly which is equivalent

to 80-90% of Rwegura’s production,” said the Minister of Energy and Mines, Côme Manirakiza

Mr. Manirakiza further expressed his gratitude to all the partners involved, includ-ing the European Union, World Bank, African Develop-ment Bank, the Republic of China, the Netherlands, the United Nations Development Program, and the European Investment Bank, for their sup-port towards the construction program of the power plant.

In Africa, Burundi is ranked among other countries with the lowest electricity per-capita.

US$ 60m hydroelectric power plant for Burundi

ENERGY / EAST AFRICA


NEWS / KENYA NEWS / EAST AFRICA

The Kenya construction and infrastructure sector is anticipating a growth of 9% year-on-year in 2015

according to Kenya Infrastructure Report Q3 2015 released this month by Business Monitor International. The growth in the sector is expected to remain over a 10-year forecast period to 2024.

A Long-term interest in the con-struction and infrastructure sector will be driven by successful issuance of Eurobond. Issuance of the bond will also boost the government’s ability to

finance infrastructure developments; so reports Business Monitor Interna-tional.

Although some growth in the construction and infrastructure is expected, insecurity in some parts of the country and devolution of fiscal powers will affect further growth via delays in investment in infrastructure, residential and non-residential sec-tors.

Business Monitor International cites among the key developments include a USD1.2bn project to connect Ke-nya, Zambia, and Tanzania electricity grid, which is likely to earn more revenues for the countries through

exportation of electricity and also expected to alleviate power outages according to Christopher Yaluma, Zambia’s Minister of Mines, Energy and Water .

The deal agreement for the project has already been signed by the governments. The countries will be hooked via 1,600km of power trans-mission lines. It is expected to start at

Ethiopia to outsprint East African peers in construction

and infrastructure growthKenya construction and infrastructure sector to

grow by 9% this year


NEWS / EAST AFRICA

the end of this year and be completed by December 2018.

Kenya has, from last year, rolled out massive road annuity infrastructure pro-gram that would together see construc-tion and/or rehabilitation of 10, 000km of roads. The project has already started and, although there were challenges being reported by local contractors in regard to prequalification requirements and local banks in regard to funding, the government is expecting to have roads constructed by local firms through funds from banks and other sources and then be paid after completion of the contracts.

Both local and international contrac-tors are participating in the roads an-nuity project. Kenya is also undertaking the LAPSSET project, where a railway network and port of Lamu are antici-pated.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s construction sector will outgrow that of neighbors in the region over the next ten years, ac-cording to projections by BMI Research International. The construction sector will grow at an annual average growth of 11.6% and will be fueled by a swell in infrastructure investments in the re-gion. BMI said it expected the growth to be pushed in future, by residential and non-residential sectors.

Although the rate is expected to be slower than that in the previous years because the government will be unable to maintain spending in the infrastructural sector, it is expected that the growth will remain to be one of the

highest growing in the world over the ten year’s forecast.

Ethiopia construction sector attained a 23.7% annual growth in 2014, and thus the growth this year was antici-pated. Although Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), under which the government is expected to undertake various construction projects in energy and infrastructure, is expected to push

investment in the country, BMI Research says that the plan will be less intensive in relation to focusing on physical infra-structure since the country’s fiscal posi-tion is set to come under pressure.

Ethiopia has, according to BMI Research, double the amount of infra-structure project investments compared to Nigeria. With USD20bn worth of projects in pipeline, it is expected that the construction sector will have an

output of USD3.2bn this year, so reports BMI Research. Kenya’s construction sector growth is expected to be 9% this year and maintain the trend over a ten years’ projection. Uganda’s growth rate in construction sector over 2015 will be 7.3% year-on-year. Tanzania construc-tion sector will grow at real growth of below 9.5% over 9.5% per year during 2015-2019.

Most investments are being chan-neled to wind power projects in Ethiopia and hydropower projects, although significant investments are being put to residential and non-residential housing sectors and railway building. Ethiopia is looking to hook to Djibouti and Kenya ports through multiple lines. An in-creased spend in infrastructure has seen fixed investments in the country go high from 25% to 40% of GDP from 2008.

BMI Research notes that the govern-ment will not be able to sustain the high of fixed investment and although international investors in manufacturing and other investments are set to provide construction opportunities, they will not be able to cover up the government’s slump in investment in the sector.

Apart from government infrastructure investment’s effect on the growth, other examples to help in the growth include residential and non-residential sector, massive investments in industries – including the USD2.2bn Huajian Group Industrial Zone near Addis Ababa – and numerous investments in textile factories and increased entry of Chinese manu-facturers.

BMI View: Ethiopia's construction and infrastructure industry has been grow-ing at a rapid pace over recent years owing to the government's focus on heavy capital investment in the infra-structure sector. While we expect this trend to continue, BMI forecasts growth in the sector will slow as the soon to be announced Growth and Transfor-mation Plan (GTP) for the coming five years will unlikely be as sizeable due to budgetary constraints. Ethiopia will continue to attract foreign investment - particularly in the industrial construc-tion sector as the country positions itself as a low-cost manufacturing hub - but this will be insufficient to take up the

slack in growth from lower government investment.

Key Trends and DevelopmentsWe forecast real growth in Ethio-

pia's construction industry in 2015 to 20.1%, following a particularly strong year of growth in 2014, estimated at 25.9% y-o-y.

In the infrastructure sector, the rail, hydropower and renewables sectors will continue to drive growth in future. While the government's budget will be constrained, major projects will continue to benefit from international partners such as China, India and the World Bank. Ethiopia is develop-ing huge rail projects in an attempt to

relieve pressure on its road network as well as better connect to its regional neighbours.

The government is also building an industrial park, and expanding another, at a total cost of USD250mn. The USD1.8bn Gibe III dam project, currently under construction along Ethiopia's Omo River, is expected to begin generating power by June 2015. Two of the project's 10 units will be ready by June, with an additional unit coming online each month thereafter. Once complete, the project will gener-ate 1,870MW of electricity. The HPP is scheduled to be fully operational by early 2016.

Ethiopia infrastructure report

Kenya has, from last year, rolled out massive road annuity infrastructure program that would together see construction and/or rehabilitation of 10, 000km of roads.


a table, you can create one by running wooden 2x4s across three saw horses and covering those boards with a 3/4” sheet of plywood.

Once the table is prepared, and the silicone is dry, prep the mold for the concrete. Remove the blue tape, and run your thumb along the silicone to remove any imperfections (Image 3).

Clean the mold with clean rags and either denatured alcohol or acetone (Image 4). These liquids will remove dirt and any excess water from the mold. Wear protective gloves while cleaning the mold.

Pour the Concrete, Set the MeshPour the concrete in the buckets into

the waiting molds. Add enough con-crete to fill a little over half of the mold. Evenly spread the concrete in the mold and near the corners (Image 1).

When the mold is half cull, lay the steel mesh or rebar into the mold so it is suspended about 1 inch from the bot-tom of the mold (Image 2).

Fill the rest of the mold with concrete. Vibrate the concrete by tapping the

bottom and sides of the mold with a rubber mallet (Image 3) and running a concrete vibrator or a vibrating sander with the sandpaper removed. Vibrating the concrete liquefies it, getting rid of air bubbles and drawing it into the corners to ensure a smooth finished product.

Vibrate and add concrete until the concrete is flush with the edge of the mold. Create a smooth surface by using a trowel or screeding with a straight

2x4. Finish working the wet concrete by running a 2-inch metal spatula along the edges of the mold to clean off excess concrete.

Allow the concrete to set up. With a fast-setting mixture, you can unmold the concrete after 24 hours; with a normal mixture, it can take as long as 10 days to cure.

Remove the MoldRemove the sides of the mold from

the concrete first, being careful not to press against the concrete. Cut the wire that was suspending the rebar or steel mesh as close to the surface of the concrete as possible. Remove the screws attaching the sides of the mold to the bottom and use a pry bar and a ham-mer to gently pry the mold apart. Again, be careful not to press the pry bar or hammer against the concrete.

When the sides of the mold are off, flip the concrete countertop over to expose the surface – this is a two-person job (Image 1). Have one person push the concrete to one end of the table while the other person flips it over and the first person gently lowers it into place.

Clean, Sand and Seal the CountertopClean the concrete with a mixture of

10 parts water to 1 part muriatic acid. Wear protective gloves and work in a well-ventilated area when using muriatic acid. Cleaning the concrete will not only prepare it for sealing but will also remove any white residue or efflores-cence that appears on the surface of

your countertop (Image 1). Put the water/muriatic acid mixture

in a bucket, thoroughly dampen a sponge and clean off the concrete with the sponge, removing any excess with a hand squeegee. Repeat this process until the white residue is completely removed.

To smooth the surface of the coun-tertop, sand the surface starting with 120-grit sandpaper, then 180-grit, and finally 220-grit. Remove dust from the sanding with clean water.

Seal your countertop with a penetrat-ing sealer. With gloves on, fold a clean white rag without any wrinkles. Fully saturate the rag with the sealer and run the rag along the surface of the con-crete in long strokes (Image 2).

Overlap each stroke with the previous one. Allow the sealer to dry – it can take up to 2 hours -- and follow with a coat of sealer in the opposite direction.

Repeat this process, crosshatching coats, until the concrete does not ab-sorb any additional sealer.

Apply a coat of beeswax to the con-crete before installing it. The wax goes on with a clean soft cloth before being buffed off (Image 3).Install the Countertop

First, dry fit your countertop pieces to the cabinet tops (Image 1).

If the countertops are not perfectly level, add small wooden or plastic shims to create level surfaces. Once they are level, secure the countertops to the cabinet top (3/4” plywood) with cowpie-sized dollops of 100-percent silicone caulk placed every 4 to 6 inches. The concrete should be secured using a lot of caulk because it is still in the process of drying and could move or curl if not properly secured.

Once the countertops are set, caulk the seams using silicone latex caulk – (Image 2). You can use a colored caulk to match your countertop color. Tape either side of your seam with blue paint-er's tape, run a bead of caulk along the seam, run your finger along the seam, and when it is dry, remove the tape.

The countertop is done and in place. Maintain the countertop by cleaning it with mild detergent and water. Avoid products with ammonia.

Beeswax can be applied as often as needed.

EXPERT CORNER


countertop. To create the molds flip over the tem-

plates and trace them onto the surface of the melamine with a pencil (Image 2). It is important to flip the template because the concrete is poured face down – the bottom of the mold will be the top of your countertop.

Transfer your seam locations and overhangs onto the mold (Image 3).

This project has two seams requir-ing three molds for three sections of countertop. Trace the overhang on the edge of the mold that will have the overhang. An easy way to do this is to get a small piece of solid mate-rial the width of your overhang – such as a wooden block – and run it along the edge of the template to create a uniform overhang (Image 4).

The molds are built with 3/4”- thick melamine (Image 1), a medium-density fiberboard with a smooth laminate finish that the concrete won't stick to and which will produce a smooth, even surface for the countertop. When buying melamine, it is important to buy pieces with perfectly smooth surfaces; cracks or dents will distort the surface of the countertop.

To create the molds flip over the tem-plates and trace them onto the surface of the melamine with a pencil (Image 2). It is important to flip the template be-cause the concrete is poured face down – the bottom of the mold will be the top of your countertop.

Transfer your seam locations and overhangs onto the mold (Image 3).

This project has two seams requiring three molds for three sections of coun-tertop. Trace the overhang on the edge of the mold that will have the overhang. An easy way to do this is to get a small piece of solid material the width of your overhang – such as a wooden block – and run it along the edge of the template to create a uniform overhang (Image 4).

Construct the MoldsUsing a table saw, cut out the sides

and bottom of the mold. The bottom of the mold is the area that was traced out; the sides should measure the length of the corresponding side of the mold plus a width of 2-3/4 inches. The width of the sides equals the thickness of the

countertop – 2 inches – added to the thickness of the 3/4” melamine). Use a new, sharp blade on the table saw to make your cuts to prevent the melamine from chipping.

Construct your molds by attaching the sides to the bottom of the mold (Image 1).

The interior of the mold should be a uniform laminate surface with no exposed particle board. Attach the sides to the bottom of the mold with screws placed at each corner 6 to 8 inches apart (Image 2).

Pre-drill all holes. Drill at a downward angle to preserve the integrity of the melamine surface; any breaks in the surface of the melamine will distort your countertop when the concrete hits it.

Seal the Mold, Create the EdgesThe next step is to seal the mold and

create the edges of the countertop using silicone caulk. Lay blue painter's tape on either side of your seams at the bottom and edges of your mold to create a uniform beveled edge.

Lay a bead of 100-percent silicone caulk along all seams (Image 2).

Run a finger along the joints to move the silicone into the joints and create a uniform beveled edge. Use the same finger around your edges and don't stop or you will create a stop-and-start mark in the silicone that will transfer to the countertop edge. Allow the silicone to dry completely.

While the silicone is drying, prepare the worktable. You want to pour the concrete on a raised surface (just below

elbow height is ideal) that is perfectly level in all directions. If you do not have a table, you can create one by running wooden 2x4s across three saw horses and covering those boards with a 3/4” sheet of plywood.

Once the table is prepared, and the silicone is dry, prep the mold for the concrete. Remove the blue tape, and run your thumb along the silicone to remove any imperfections (Image 3).

Clean the mold with clean rags and either denatured alcohol or acetone (Image 4). These liquids will remove dirt and any excess water from the mold. Wear protective gloves while cleaning the mold.

Seal the Mold, Create the EdgesThe next step is to seal the mold and

create the edges of the countertop using silicone caulk. Lay blue painter's tape on either side of your seams at the bottom and edges of your mold to create a uniform beveled edge (Image 1).

Lay a bead of 100-percent silicone caulk along all seams (Image 2).

Run a finger along the joints to move the silicone into the joints and create a uniform beveled edge. Use the same finger around your edges and don't stop or you will create a stop-and-start mark in the silicone that will transfer to the countertop edge. Allow the silicone to dry completely.

While the silicone is drying, prepare the worktable. You want to pour the concrete on a raised surface (just below elbow height is ideal) that is perfectly level in all directions. If you do not have

EXPERT CORNER


NEWS / EAST AFRICA

Tanzania BMI slightly downgraded its 2015 real growth fore-casts for Tanzania's construction industry in light of a corruption scandal in the power sector damaging investor confidence and restricting the government's budget. Major infrastructure plans in the rail, and port sectors are deemed overoptimistic but will pro-vide opportunities nonetheless. The fall in oil prices may threaten the major investments into Tanzania's offshore gas sector, which supported MBI’s long-term infrastructure forecasts.

Uganda Robust economic growth will continue to drive construction industry growth in Uganda over the coming years, with the industry set to expand in real terms over 2015 by 7.3% year-on-year. While public investment in the sector, particularly in the run-up to the 2016 election, will also support growth, BMI expects the government to face increasing fiscal pressures over the medium term which will threaten infrastructure growth. Furthermore, there is the risk that, in a lower oil price environment, the private sector will be less willing to invest to realise Ugan-da's full oil potential, which the government is relying on for future revenue.

BMI points to Entebbe International Airport’s pro-posed USD400mn expansion as one of the key proj-ects to drive growth in this sector. About USD200mn will be used to build a second terminal building and the remaining will be used to build a new cargo cen-tre and mall. The proposed expansion programme includes construction of additional aircraft bays, a runway and six commercial passenger check-in areas. The expansion will begin in 2017.• BMI'sOil&Gasteamexpectsdelaystobringing

oil online, forecasting 2019 at the earliest, but we expect infrastructure investments related to this to be forthcoming in the years prior to first oil.

• UgandaissettobuildanUSD8bnstandardgauge railway. China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is the lead contractor and at least partial funding is expected from the China Exim Bank. In April 2015, President Museveni witnessed the signing of the Engineering Procure-ment Construction (EPC) contract for the initial USD3.2bn section of the project with CHEC. China Civil Engineering Construction Corpora-tion had originally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to construct the eastern line, but Works Minister John Byabagambi cancelled the MoU and handed over the deal to CHEC, stalling the project.

• In2015,thegovernmentplanstofloatatenderfor a 77km toll-road project linking Kampala to Jinja.

BMI View: Sudan and South Sudan face a multitude of issues with ongoing c onflict having drastically eroded what little investor confidence there was in the markets and as such we fore-cast volatile and poor growth for both countries over our fore-cast period. Lower oil prices in particular will limit the ability of governments to implement their spending plans in the infrastruc-ture sector - focussing on current spending instead - and with little investor interest left, there will be few infrastructure growth drivers.

While current events in Sudan and South Sudan overshadow their relationship with each other, oil trade between the two remains the key to any kind of sustainable growth with the respective construction indus-tries. Political risks in Sudan and growing fears of a loss of control outside of Khartoum have damaged the reputation of the already internationally isolated government and this could im-pact vital Chinese investment in the country. South Sudan's civil war continues to damage per-ceptions, meaning the country will likely have to remain reliant on international donors, in par-ticular China, for badly needed infrastructure investment.

Key Trends And Developments • SouthSudan'sgovernment

has allocated up to US-D700mn to build 400km of roads, connecting its capital Juba to Lakes state. The Chinese government will loan funds for the project. China-based Shandong Hi Speed Construction Group will undertake the project.

The duration of the project was not disclosed by the authorities.

• ThegovernmentofSudanand China signed a US-D700mn loan agreement to build the New Khartoum In-ternational Airport in Sudan. The terminal and its facilities will be built on 86,000sq m area and will have two 4,000m runways. Construc-tion will also comprise a ho-tel. The Export and Import Bank of China will fund the terminal through a 20-year loan. The terminal will be built by China Harbour Engineering Company over 40 months.

Sudan & South Sudan Infrastructure report

Lower oil prices in particular will limit the ability of governments to implement their spending plans in the infrastructure sector.


The US$ 17.5m Equatorial Towers Juba, South Sudan which is so

far the tallest building in the country is on its way to completion. UAP Group who is the owner is projecting that works will be finalized on June 30th this year.

The Equatorial Towers Juba which is being financed by IFC in South Sudan and being undertaken by China Aero-technologic International Co-operation (CATIC) is targeted to be an initiative that will be used for high end businesses in the country.

“The development will contribute towards address-ing the critical supply gap of high quality offices in South Sudan,” UAP Group said.

The 15 storey Equatorial

Towers Juba office complex which is an ultra-modern green building is fitted with many amenities such as fast internet, high speed elevators, and air conditioning. There is also the use of natural light, LED and fluorescent artificial lighting in the building.

To cool the building, a low-emissivity glass is fitted in all the windows and an insula-tor on the floor, ceilings and walls; this will help in cutting down the air conditioning costs.

UAP Group owns a tre-mendous amount of property spread across East Africa in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and now South Sudan.

Their recent completed 33 storey UAP tower in Nairobi which is tipped to have the highest point in Nairobi has so far attracted a lot of cus-tomers.

UAP group’s Equatorial Towers in Juba almost complete

Equatorial Towers Juba, South Sudan which is so far the tallest building in the country is on its way to completion.

NEWS / SOUTH SUDAN


Make the Mold TemplatesBEFORE building the countertops, talk to your carpenter or cabinetmaker to en-sure that your cabinets can support the weight of concrete countertops, which can weigh (at 2-inch thick) between 12 and 22 pounds per square foot.

If necessary, add extra support to the cabinets. Often, 3/4” plywood sheets are attached to the top of the cabinets to give the concrete a flat, level surface to sit upon. In this case a trim piece matching the cabinets will be needed to cover the plywood edge.

It’s a good idea to build the molds and pour the countertops off-site, in a garage or workroom. It ensures a clean kitchen during this very dusty and dirty process. Avoid places that are exposed to the weather and have drastic tem-perature change.

The process of pouring concrete countertops begins by creating very ac-curate templates of the existing counter space. The molds for the countertops will be made from the templates.

There are two ways to create a tem-plate: 1). Trace the countertop base on

an oversized piece of wood; or 2). Cre-ate a template by connecting strips of wood veneer. This project uses the wood veneer method (Image 1).

The template should be the exact size of the countertop base or cabinet top – not the size of the countertop that will go on it. Using wood veneer strips, secure the strips to the surface of the cabinet top with the hand stapler. On corners, use a diagonal piece for extra support se-cured using the hot glue gun (Image 2). If the template is particularly long or wide, add strips for cross supports. Score and snap off ends with the utility knife and square.

The template-making process is the time to decide on design features like control seams and countertop over-

hangs. If countertops are made in sec-tions larger than about 8 feet, they are prone to cracking and more difficult to move. Reduce the chances for cracking by incorporating joints or seams in the countertop.

Countertop overhangs – the counter-top lip that extends beyond the face of the countertop – are usually 1/2” for standard cabinets and 3/4” for flush cabinets.

Mark seam locations and overhang-ing edges on your template with a permanent marker.

Measure the countertop base again and write these measurements on the template to ensure accuracy (Image 4).

Remove the template from the countertop and move it to where the countertop mold is being made.

Transfer the TemplatesThe molds are built with 3/4”- thick

melamine (Image 1), a medium-density fiberboard with a smooth laminate finish that the concrete won't stick to

and which will produce a smooth, even surface for the countertop. When buying melamine, it is important to buy pieces with perfectly smooth surfaces; cracks or dents will distort the surface of the

How to Install a Concrete Countertop

EXPERT CORNER


and institutions. Reverse Osmosis is a

technique that uses semi per-meable membranes to filter solvents, bacteria and viruses out of water. The membranes remove virtually all dissolved solids and micro-organism from the water rendering it totally pure. It is a process particularly suitable for treat-ing salinity and also has ap-plications in manufacturing where pure water is needed.

Ultra Filtration is a newer technology and is a highly effective treatment process suitable for silted waters that filters down to 0.02micron, a purity that produces potable water to international stan-dards without any chemi-cal additions. The process removes solid particles and macromolecules from raw water by passing the raw water through thousands of tiny hollow fibres in a filter cartridge to produce a filtrate free from suspended solids. It is particularly suitable for ground water treatment and has wide applications in installations from domestic to town sizes. Particular uses in the region will be rural communities, agricultural industries, disaster relief, site camps, factory treat-ment etc where high quality potable water is required. It is particularly suitable as an alternative to conventional flocculation, settlement, filtra-tion and chlorination plants that are bulky, complex to operate, use chemicals and do not produce treated water of similar high quality.

The event was held in a Nairobi residential site adjacent to a river, which

was highly turbid due to the ongoing rains. About 40 engineers from the public, NGO, water provider and private sectors attended and they were addressed by Dow engineers Fabian Creus and Javier Sanchez, who were visiting specially from the Dow engineer-ing centre in Spain. They explained the technology and the application of the products and then a workingDavis&Shirtliffdesigned and assembled UF plant was demon-strated, the effectiveness being shown by comparing the raw and treated water quality. As a confirmation of the process’s effective-nesstheDavis&Shirtliffand Dow team drank the treated water and they were then joined by many participants who comment-ed on its good taste!

Dow is the leading world supplier of both RO and UF membranes. Sup-ported by Dow engineers Davis&Shirtliffdesignandbuild plants particularly specified to the water to be treated and the local assembly ensures excellent value as well as support

and serviceability. A number of plants have already been installed and certainly the UF treatment technology will soon become familiar in the

region. Davis and Shirtliff designs

water treatment solutions for small, medium and large scale domestic and industrial clients across its markets of operation. It is a Kenyan based multina-tional, operating through a network of Kenyan branches and regional subsidiaries in Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi and DRC. Founded in Kenya in 1946, it is the leading supplier of water-related and alternative energy equipment in East Africa.

Ultra Filtration is a newer technology and is a highly effective treatment process

suitable for silted waters that filters down to 0.02micron, a purity that produces potable water to international standards without

any chemical additions.


Tanzania in conjunction with a Chinese company is set to construct a 2,561 km standard gauge railway at a cost of US$ 7.6bn. The railway line

will connect the Dar es Salaam port to land-locked countries and hence enhance the economy of the country.

A Chinese consortium led by China Railway Materials (CRM) has been se-lected to undertake the construction of the project; this was confirmed by the Tanza-nian Minister for Transport, Samuel Sitta.

Tanzania plans to place itself strategi-cally as a regional transport hub in the coming years and this is part of several initiatives in the pipeline to help it surge effectively compete in the East African economy. The government projects expen-diture to the tune of US$ 14.2bn in the next five years on the construction of new railway lines and upgrading of existing roads and railways. This development will enable them serve growing economies in the land-locked countries in the continent.

The country has so far signed a US$ 10bn agreement with China Merchant Holding International (CMHI) to build a new mega port and economic zone at Bagamoyo.

Construction of the new railway line is expected to commence this month in June.

Tanzania standard gauge railway to cost US$ 7.6bn

NEWS / TANZANIA


Making its mark in the Construction industry in East Africa

Kenya’s construction industry has continued to grow at a frenetic pace, spurred by demand from a

growing population and economy. Cut-throat competition among professionals, material suppliers and developers means that only those that continue to innovate and stay abreast of, or set trends in their fields of operation will achieve market leadership and growth. For the rest, the message is clear – R.I.P!

The engineering sector has wit-nessed its own massive growth and continued to play a crucial role in developing a sound built environ-

ment, in tandem with other profes-sionals. Formidable consultancies have been formed in the country, to serve the country’s rapidly expand-ing building and construction industry.

An early pace setter, Norkun Intakes Limited, an indigenous Kenyan consultancy has achieved tremendous growth, taking up and delivering an impressive number of major projects and in the process signaling its arrival on the stage, intent on becoming the market leader in East and Central Africa. The projects undertaken this far comprise a wide range of engineer-ing jobs, mostly leaning towards industrial contracts, mega master planning schemes, commercial

With landmark projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda and Sierra Leone underline Norkun Intakes’ strong presence.

Five Star Garden Estate

PROFILE / NORKUN INTAKES LTD.


Davis and Shirtliff, Kenya’s leading water and energy solutions provider, has unveiled a partnership with

international water company Dow Water and Process Solutions that will see the incorporation of high-tech

water treatment solutions to meet the need for safe and affordable drinking water.

Dow Water and Process Solutions will provide its high technology Ultra Filtra-tion and Reverse Osmosis products to Davis and Shirtliff, complementing the Kenyan multinational’s offering of unique water solutions for both homes

Davis & Shirtliff launches Dow High-Tech Water

Treatment in the region

Davis & Shirtliff together with partner Dow Water Systems recently showcased the latest Dow Ultra Filtration technology to a group of engineers and water industry executives. The technology purifies highly turbid surface waters to drinking standard using a membrane technology without chemicals. Participants are pictured by the plant drinking the treated water to demonstrate the effectiveness of the process!

PROFILE / PARBAT SEYANI CONSTRUCTION


The WorkshopThis is located at Mlolongo, Machakos County where product is done and is also a place to showcase the product process to interested and/or prospective clients. Clients are usually encouraged to visit the yard to experience was it that several have opted for different designs/products than what had initially been desired.

Health and SafetyPSIL is cognizant of the need to achieve zero injuries and fatalities in their operations. To this end, PSIL employs an accredited Health and Safety Consultant to guide and con-tinually advise on avoidance of health and safety hazards. The number one priority in the workplace is health and safety of all staff, this has proved to be a key motivational factor to the staff.

REFURBISHMENT & INTERIOR FIT-OUT CONTRACTORS

PRABHATAM. 1ST PARKLANDS AVENUE, P.O.BOX 10748-00100, NAIROBI, KENYATEL: +254 20 2658134 / 35 MOBILE: +254 731 337001 FAX: +254 20 2658136WEB: www.seyani.com

ProjectsAs aforesaid, PSIL has had opportunities to demonstrate her services and tabulated further hereinafter is a list of some of the key projects that PSIL prides herself in. once conspicuous observation is the number of projects by PSIL where the developer or architect appears more than once. This is PSIL’s proud confirmation of their pro-

found satisfaction with the products and services that leaves them yearning for more.

Dare we indicate here that no client is on record having sought services elsewhere after tasting Parbat Siyani In-terior Ltd’s services. We have created a considerable edge in the market and which we strive to uphold and improve with time.

PROFILE / PARBAT SIYANI INTERIORS


relia

ble

electrical engineers (nrb) ltd

.

Nairobi Kenya

establishments, expansive residential schemes, high-rise towers and MSRs among others.

The company has successfully spread its footprint to several countries around Africa. Landmark projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwan-da and Sierra Leone underline Norkun Intakes’ strong presence. In the long term, it is the desire of Norkun Intakes to enhance its active presence in the entire East and Central Africa region.

Notable among the numerous projects Norkun Intakes is credited for include:• ProfessorNelsonAworiCentre• Morningsideofficepark–Along

Ngong road• UAPTowers• AIGofficefitout• DeaconsBabyshop,MrPrice,

Truworth, Woolworths• ExtelcomsHouse• KenyaCommercialBankcontact

center• FiberLandingstationsforTEAMS,

EASSY and Lion 2• K24studio• UchumiSupermarketHQand

central warehouse• SafaricomMSR• KenyaAirwayscarousals

• ImpalaHotel• GurodotoMountainLodgein

Tanzania• Banks–KCB,SCB,Equity,Co-

operative, Chase Bank, Exim Bank, NIC and National Bank

• ThikaGreens• LongonotGateapartments

-2500 acres Master planning.These projects have been completed

and duly delivered by the company’s team of technical and administrative staff led by Engineer Ikundo Muhoro, the Managing Director and Chief Execu-tive, assisted by Peter Kimani, Technical Director and Jane Waithera, Finance and Human Resources Director.

In total, Norkun has a staff of 20. The technical side consists of seven me-chanical engineers and seven electrical engineers. Finance and Administration has a staff of three while the other three are in support services.

Electrical Services• Interior/Exteriorlightingandpow-

er installations including luminar-ies and fittings specifications

• Electricalpowerdistributionandlayout for utility supply

• Electricalsystemsprotectionagainst transient over-voltages

and other secondary effects• Lightningprotectiondesign• Firedetectionandalarmsystem• Streetlightingdesign• Securityalarminstallations,

CCTV, electric fence, access control system, BMS etc

• Verificationoftheadequacyofprotective switch-gear and fault level calculations.

• Loadstudyinproductionlinestoascertain power supply stability

• Electricpowergeneratingplantsizing and specifications

• PowerfactorcorrectionPlantdesigns.

• Otherspecializedsupplysystemsand/plants and services

• ICTinfrastructuredesign&speci-fications.

• StructuredCablingandequip-ment

• Incinerators(electrical).• IndustrialElectricalinstallations• Electriclifts,escalators,paternos-

ters and travelators.• SELFandFELVsystemsdesign• Agricultural&horticulturalelectri-

cal installations design• Pumpingstationcontrolsand

power supply



Mechanical Installations• Ces• Boilerplantsandauxiliaries• Calorifierplants,steamandhotwater

distribution• Plumbing• Coldandhotwaterservices• Drainage• Internal,soilandfoulwaterdrainage• Rainwaterdrainage• Sanitaryfittings–Ordinaryuseand

Medical sanitary fittings• Waterstorage,pumpingandtreat-

ment plants• Pressurevessels/tanksandaccumu-

lators• Waterfiltrationandtreatmentplants• Compressedairservicesincluding

compressor plants and distribution• MedicalandPetroleumgasesstorage

and distribution• Firefightingsystems• Airconditioning• Cooling,heatinghumidifying,dehu-

midifying and refrigeration systems• Mechanicalventilations• Equipmentselectionandlayoutfor

Kitchens, Laundry, factory etc.

Parklands office suits, Nairobi

UAP Towers Upper Hill , Nairobi



PROFILE / OAK PARK

The construction industry in East Africa region and indeed globally is undergoing

rapid and phenomenal change. The hitherto ‘nondescript’ interior design specialists have since taken their positions and filled the gap between ‘provision of accommodation or space and optimal utilization of the same’ by way of efficient interior Layout design. It is for this very noble development that Parbat Siyani Interiors Limited was incorporated and registered in May 2013. Parbat Siyani Interiors Ltd seeks to actualize interior designers imaginations by way of resourcing quality, environmental friendly and sustainable products that convert an empty space to a

usable one and optimumly so. This informs their mission and vision statements.

Since inception, PSIL has had the privilege to demon-strate their services to several clientele and who range from property developers, corporate tenants, anchor tenants and individuals.

The formation of PSIL undoubtedly coincides with unpredented influx of special-ists in interior design and who has all along provided their services not very independently with architects. Until recently, there has been a very thin line between architecture and interior design with a most wel-come departure from this, PSIL finds itself in a leading position on matters of interior design. It aims at establishing a relation-ship with architects and interior designers with a view to help-

ing prospective clients achieve optimal use of available space and cost effectively.

To achieve this, PSIL has established its core operations in two stations; the Head Office is located on the first floor of Prabham, 1st Parklands Avenue and workshops at Mlolongo area, Beijing Road along Mombasa Road.

The Head OfficeThis is the company’s nerve

centre and from where all the operations are directed. With seven managerial staff under the directorship of Mr. Deepak R. Kerai, all official correspon-dences, in-house design and project planning are carried out here. It also serves as an ideal ‘exhibition’ centre to showcase the kind of quality that PSIL produces.

Parbat Siyani Interiors Limited

African Boot Company Lit.

PROFILE / PARBAT SIYANI INTERIORS


Like most other private sector coun-terparts, PSCL has maintained scope has been limited to private sector involvements. Not that local firms are incapable of deliver-ing the huge projects dished out to foreign contractors.

He suggests that perhaps Kenya should consider, not necessar-ily shutting out Chinese contractors from engaging in projects in the country, but restrict-ing them to projects of certain prescribed dollar magnitudes. The current scenario where they are allowed to even engage in smaller projects in the private sector is indeed discouraging to growth

of indigenous contrac-tors.

He cites Japanese contractors who only participate in the construction of projects funded by the Japa-nese government.

Pointing to the future, the CEO paints an optimistic future where the company will move up the rank-ings on the local contractors’ ladder in terms of size. PSCL is currently among the top ten construction companies in Kenya.

“As we continue to grow, we will continue to impress and inspire as we build dreams into reality. This is our specialty; it is what we do best, it is our pas-sion,” he concludes. Proposed Hotel



We are proud to be associated with

Norkun Intakes LtdWater Distribution

Fire Fighting Intallations Water Closet Wash Hand Basins

• Incineratorsandmacerators• Industrialinstallations• Conveyorsystems• Equipmentlayoutandservices• Vibrationcontrols,acousticsand

attenuation• Refusedisposalservices• Swimmingpools

Established in 2003, Norkun Intakes

has cultivated an enviable reputation in East Africa, bringing world class engineering consultancy through provision of services in an innovative and efficient manner while observing the highest possible levels of ethics and integrity. This has been achieved, through relentless adherence to cus-tomer satisfaction, innovation, efficien-cy, professionalism, productive work

Gurudoto Hotel Lounge in Arusha Tanzania

In the long term, it is the desire of Norkun Intakes to enhance its active presence in the entire East and Central Africa region.



Fifth Ngong Avenue Office Suites, Nairobi

Uchumi Head Quarters, Nairobi



Kenya has in the recent past experienced a string of building

collapses thus raising questions on the use of sub-par building materials. The use of twisted bars started around the middle of the 20th century but by the 1980s and early 1990s most of the developed nations had already ceased their use due to its inadequacies, preferring deformed bars over twisted. Deformed bars have ridges, projections or ribs on their surface to provide better anchoring for concrete.

Apex Steel has been in the forefront in production of quality steel. This dates back to 2007 when Apex Steel became the first steel manufacturer in Kenya to manufacture deformed bars.

Not only has Apex been a pioneer in manufacture of deformed bars in Kenya but is also a step further by exceeding KEBS requirements and producing deformed bars of higher strength of 500N/m2.

The deformed bar called ‘APEX TMX’ can be described as a New Generation High Strength Steel having superior qualities such as better weld-ability, increased ductility and bend ability, anti corrosive properties, better and more consistent elongation. These properties meet the highest internationally recognized standards. In addition to that Apex Steel gives you the comfort of assurance by branding ‘APEX TMX’ on each meter of the steel, to be confident in the quality

guaranteed. The above qualities have

built a tremendemous amount of credibility in the quality of steel produced by Apex Steel. Consequently a lot of engineers, contractors and architects have been using steel from Apex as their preferred choice in their projects. This is evident as a lot of iconic projects in Kenya have been built by steel from Apex Steel. Some of these structures include Sankara Hotel, Kempinsky Villa Rosa Hotel, Delta Towers, Riverside Park, Sameer Business Park, Nairobi-Namanga highway, Sondu Muriu Dam, Kwale Sugar Mill, Nothern bypass, Eastern bypass and the iconic Thika superhighway just to mention a few.

Apex Steel isn’t just about

quality products but con-tributes to environmental safety by making enviroment friendly construction steel as well. Apex Steel is the first steel manufacturer in Kenya to receive certification for Leadership in Energy and En-vironmental Design (LEED®). This basically means that Apex Steel Limited has taken to be the leading steel manu-facturing company in the East African region and by exten-sion in Africa in the manufac-ture of steel that contributes to sustainable construction of the built environment.

Apex Steel endevours to locally manufacture steel that meet international standards for all our customers’ con-struction requirements and promote enviromental sus-tainability at the same time.

We are proud to be associated with Parbat Siyani Construction Ltd

Apex Steel: Innovation ahead of timeCompany scores a first in Kenya with

manufacture of deformed bars


East Africa Infrastructure & Engineering Review | May / June 201532 East Africa Infrastructure & Engineering Review | May / June 2015 13


ethic, integrity, honesty and respect.

According to the Nor-kun Intakes management, the business and policy environments, there is a marked improvement in the policy and business environments that have helped in their pursuit of excellence. Relevant leg-islation has played a key role in leveling the play-ing field for stakehold-ers in the construction industry. They observe that Kenya’s business climate has improved tremendously over the last decade facilitating tremendous growth of the construction industry in the last few years.

The Norkun directors note that the multiple infrastructural projects that got off the ground in

previous administrations and have been complet-ed or still continue today, have resulted in speed-ing up development. Road networks have been expanded through bypasses, trunk roads and creation of missing link roads have played a key role.

Telecommunications and power generation and distribution, also improved and there are ongoing efforts at tap-ping renewable energy. The company observes that although the water sector has also registered improvement, more must be done to expand and extend existing sewerage system, which still falls seriously inadequate in meeting the needs of upcoming developments.

According to the Norkun Intakes management, the business and policy environments, there is a marked improvement in the policy and business environments that have helped in their pursuit of excellence.

ELsan Mechanical Engineering LtdNyayo Stadium, Pool Complex, Mezzanine Floor, Aerodrome Road.

P.O. Box 78431-00507 Nairobi, Kenya. Tel: (020)6008144. Cell: 0722 951 091Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Website: www.elsanmechltd.com

We are proud to be associated with Norkun Intake Ltd

PROWATT ENTERPRISES LTDElectrical Contractors & Structuring Cabling

Thika Super Highway and Eastern Bypass Junction, Behind Kenya ClayAgripark Godown No. 7 P.O. Box 873-00600, Nairobi-Kenya

Email: [email protected] / Website: www.prowatt.net

Office Mobile: +254 729 282989+254 736 779123

TeleFax: +254 20-6760918

Tel: +254 20-6760918/20 +254 20-2013685 +254 20-3567278

Bluebird Aviation

Western Heights

Green HouseNelson Awori

Nextgen

Mirage

5th Ngong Ave.

Fortis Ind. Park

We are proud to be associated with

Norkun Intakes Ltd. in their projects as their Electrical Contractors



WATER / KENYA

Mombasa Branch MASTER POWER SYSTEMS (U) LTDMASTER POWER SYSTEMS LTD

www.masterpowers.com

P. O. Box 95864, Mkomani, MombasaTel: +254 710670384Fax: +254 041 4470931 Email: [email protected]

PLOT 86 - 96, 6th Street, Industrial AreaP. O. Box 7715 Kampala, UgandaTel: + 256 414 566020, 566030Fax: + 256 414 566040Email: [email protected]

33 Parklands Road, Opp. Impala Hotel P. O. Box 976 - 00606, Nairobi-Kenya Tel: +254 020 3757280 Fax: +254 020 3756280 Mobile: +254 731 976976, +254 705 976976, +254 774 137828Email: [email protected]

An ISO 14001 : 2004ISO 9001 : 2008

BS OHSAS 18001 : 2007Certified Companies

We are proud to be associated with Parbat Siyani Construction Ltd

clients’ aspirations,” he says.PSCL employs more than 350 staff,

out of whom 20 are managerial, supervisory and professional experts. The company has sought to guarantee new staff that they are at the right place, working with a preferred employer in the construction industry.

To keep up with developments on the global arena relevant to the construction industry, the management has made a significant investment in technology and ensures that systems are always updated, enabling seamless flow of information.

Mr. Mukesh says PSCL prides itself as a company that possesses vast experi-ence in, and able to successfully handle general building and civil engineering jobs with dedication to quality work-manship and efficient management of resources. “We are able to undertake all types of jobs,” he points out. “We at times engage in domestic subcontrac-tors to undertake installation of a wide range of services like electrical, plumb-ing and air conditioning as well as lifts installation among a wide range of

other services.”Kenya’s construction industry is known

to have a highly established pool of professional consultants that have so far spearheaded the frenetic pace of growth in the sector. PSCL is widely recognised and respected among leading archi-tects, engineers, quantity surveyors and other consultants for the confidence it has inspired with accurate interpretation and implementation of their design, cost and time specifications.

Says Mr. Mukesh; “We have been fortunate to work with some of the Kenyan most visionary, groundbreaking architects. We support these demanding designers through partnership, creativ-ity, flexibility, and good listening. With innovative solutions to one-of-a-kind challenges, backed by craftsmanship in the field, we have helped these artists to achieve their visions. The results have included numerous appreciation win-ning buildings, and signature projects that realized owners' dreams, without losing sight of "real world", schedules and budgets.”

This has led to a portfolio of return

clients surpassed by few in the market. The bulk of these are leading local and multinational corporate concerns all in the private sector.

Indeed return clients are the lifeblood of successful businesses and determine the success or failure of enterprises. PSCL has successfully built a reputation that guarantees it regular business and credible referrals.

“We have established that our most valuable clients are those that we have already been working with. They will always give us the opportunity to do jobs that arise because of their past experiences with us in terms of the stan-dard and quality of our workmanship,” he says. “Budget and time constraints which are the biggest challenges faced by our clients in the construction industry are our biggest concern,” emphasizes Mukesh.

We are glad that we have been able to deliver projects to our clients satis-factorily – this is our specialty; it is what we do best, this is our passion - and this how PSCL intends to continue building dreams into reality.



PROFILE / DIMENSIONS ARCHITECTS

www.eainfrastructure-engineer.comFor more information, visit our wesite

Growth in Infrastructure:

New facilities as Kenya

turns 50

Growth in Infrastructure:

New facilities as Kenya

turns 50

Volume 2 Issue 009 November - December 2013

Volume 2 Issue 010 January - February 2014

Introducing the Brand New Ultra Modern Thika Road Compus

Introducing the Brand New Ultra Modern Thika Road Compus

pany’s activities. PBCL really got off the ground, when we started getting more sizeable and challenging projects from around 2006,” he adds.

This marked the beginning of a growth trajectory that has seen the company become a leading market player, with successful implementation of standout, landscape transforming multimillion dollar industrial, residential and commercial projects. Mr. Halai attributes this to the company’s relent-less pursuit of innovation, excellence in workmanship, attention to detail as well as customer satisfaction.

“When you are working in a market that is as competitive as the construction industry, you need to be innovative,” says Mr. Halai. “Exceptional quality and client satisfaction have enabled us to make our mark in the construction industry. Radisson Blu Hotel, Diamond Plaza Annex and parking silo, the im-pressive One West Park Apartments, Sie-mens warehouses and offices, Rosslyn Gardens Apartments and the Junction Shopping mall are landmark projects delivered by PBCL that are testimony to this.”

Other prestigious projects PBSCL

has undertaken include the swanky Eka Hotel and Sankara Hotels.

PSCL Kenya is now registered as a category “A” class of contractors in

General Building Works, Civil Engineer-ing (Road Works) and Civil Engineering (Sewers) by the Ministry of Roads and Public Works.

Mukesh credits hard working and dedicated staff – both technical and support, as a major factor in the com-pany’s growth. He says the company has been keen to retain highly trained and experienced individuals trusting them with the task to take the company forward, and the company takes great interest in their welfare.

“We believe that well motivated staff and effective production go hand – in – hand. In addition to good remu-neration, Safety and quality in all our construction operations is not just a goal but a requirement,” he says, adding that relations with the company’s other stakeholders – the subcontractors are very cordial and progressive.

“Our competitive advantage stems from the atmosphere of mutual trust and respect that runs right through the ranks in our company,” he says. “The care and concern we have for our employees and subcontractors greatly enhance our ability to deliver quality projects on time and within budget, with a keen eye on

In 2003 we started getting the first small projects that kicked off the company’s activities. PBCL really got off the ground, when we started getting more sizeable and challenging projects from around 2006.



The foundation of a 491km railway in Ethiopia has been

finally laid down by the Prime Minister HaileMariam Desalegn, this initiative will tremendously assist the local farmers transport their products to neighbouring markets and also see the nation easily link to South Sudan.“The railway line which will ultimately connect them to their neighbour Sudan, will play a major role in enhancing social, political and economic activities

of the areas it crosses as well as the nation,” said the Ethiopian Railways Corporation CEO Getachew Betru.The railway project will link Addis Ababa with Bedele and will be among eight national routes set to be built by the Ethiopian Railways Corporation with more than 25 stations available.Currently, there are a few ready railway routes that have already been identified for construction; the Addis Ababa- Ijaji- Jimma- Guraferda- Dima including Jimma-Bedele (direct to Boma with further extension to South Sudan)

Another railway line that links the potash rich northern and northeastern part of the country with Tadjoura port in Djibouti was also initiated this year. The Mekele – Weldya/Hara Gebeya – Semera- Tadjourah Port railway project will enhance the accessibility to the ports.Ethiopia decided to embark on railway and road construction so as to heighten the economic ties with neighbouring nations and also to upgrade their transportation industry. Their ongoing Addis Ababa – Djibouti railway project is now 80 percent complete.

491 km railway line connecting Ethiopia to

Sudan launched

The railway line which will ultimately connect them to their neighbour Sudan.

NEWS / ETHIOPIA


THE railway project in Uganda has received a major boost following the signing of Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) agreement last week by Uganda’s president-Yoweri Museveni and China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC). The signing took place in State Auditorium in Beijing, China.

China has approved to finance the 476 km line, which include catering for the detailed designs of the railway.

Mr. Museveni said that once the railway line is complete, most of the transportation problems will be solved as Uganda’s heavy cargoes from the ports is usually transported via road, which brings about several challenges.

The cargoes from the ports will be transported at a faster and cheaper rate, he further said.

The Standard Gauge Railway construction project was agreed on by four countries; Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda

and South Sudan and it will be a vital infrastructure project for the Northern Corridor.

Standard Gauge Railway was launched on October last year when Uganda President, President of Rwanda, Mr. Paul Kagame, South Sudan President Mr. Salva Kiir and representatives from Kenya and Burundi met in Uganda.

Construction has already started in Mombasa, Kenya and once complete, the new line will connect Mombasa to Malaba, then onward to Kampala in Uganda, then Kigali (with a branch line to Kasese town) and Juba (with a branch line to Pakwach town) to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border and again from Mpodwe to the DRC border.

China Communication Company is undertaking construction of the part of the Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya, in a project that will see 40 percent of work sub-contracted to local companies.

US$3.2bn Standard Gauge Railway line to connect Uganda and S.Sudan

Uganda is in the plans of

constructing a US$ 3.2bn railway

line that will join Kampala through

Malaba to Nimule in South Sudan.

This will be in part of the Standard Gauge Railway

construction project already underway

to connect East African countries.

Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Salva Kiir of South Sudan, and representatives from Kenya during the launch of Standard Gauge Railway project in Uganda last year.

NEWS / EAST AFRICA


Parbat Seyani Construction Company Limited was incorporated as an offshoot of Seyani Brothers&CompanyLimited, a company

originally started in Nairobi as a family business by two brothers in 1978. SeyaniBrothers&Companyexpandedto Kampala, Uganda in the year 1991. Mr. Parbat B. Siyani, one of the founders, was accorded the management of Seyani Brothers&Company(Uganda)Limited,and oversaw its fast growth in Uganda, becoming a leading market player in the construction sector.

“The company’s fast growth in Kenya and Uganda brought with it enormous management responsibilities and chal-lenges.SeyaniBrothers&Company(Kenya)andSeyaniBrothers&Company(Uganda) Limited were subsequently

separated in the year 2000 to facilitate greater efficiency and faster decision making.

In addition, Seyani Brothers Limited was by then a household company that had attained the requisite corporate maturity and a firm market foothold. With a vision to expand its business prospects and seek further growth, Parbat Siyani Construction Company Limited (PSCL) was incorpo-rated in 2001. Its operations in Tanzania and Rwanda followed in 2007. All the company’s branches in the region func-tion as independent and separate legal entities, according to Mr. Mukesh.

PSCL (K) Ltd‘s initial growth was slow, its first steps in the were tentative.

“We first took up a project as a subcontractor in Nairobi,” reveals Mr. Mukesh Halai, PSCL’s Managing Director. “Then, in 2003 we started getting the first small projects that kicked off the com-

PARBAT SEYANI CONSTRUCTION

COMPANY LIMITED

Radisson Blu Hotel


East Africa Infrastructure & Engineering Review | May / June 201528 East Africa Infrastructure & Engineering Review | May / June 2015 17

Plans are underway to have a tarmac road connecting Kampala and Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa in the near future

According to Ethiopia's Ambassador to Uganda Degefe Bula, the road, which is expected to pass through Yale in Northern Kenya, will start when all work plans are completed.

Uganda's State Minister for Regional Cooperation Philemon Mateke said, "The signed agreement on the establishment of a joint task force in areas of defense, energy, tourism cross border trade and infrastructure is doing well. We're working on the possibility of having a road connection between Kampala and Addis Ababa through

Kenya."Ambassador Bula was last week

hosting guests to mark the 24th anniversary of the Ethiopian National Day.

The Ethiopian National Day commemorates the end of the Derg junta in 1991. Although this day is Ethiopia's National Day, its official name is Derg Downfall Day.

Bula highlighted the good working relationships between Uganda and Ethiopia, including security, defense, energy and road infrastructure, education and health.

"Uganda and Ethiopia has worked together in as far as ensuring regional peace is concerned. We share and enjoy almost the same culture values,"

said Bula.He said the two countries have

strengthened bilateral relationships by signing a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) especially the road link and energy transportation between Kampala and Addis Ababa.

"We're enjoying our code sharing agreements. The two countries are working together in fighting drug trafficking, human trafficking, terrorism and money laundering," noted Bula.

Mateke also spoke favourably about the bi-lateral agreements between the two countries in areas of security, defense, and infrastructure, tourism, cross border trade, energy infrastructure development and hospitality.

ROADS / UGANDA

Road linking Kampala to Addis Ababa planned

INSTALLATION of geogrid in road construction: the Nyakararo-Mwaro-Gitega Road Improvement and Asphalting Project will help boost regional trade

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a grant of US$29.49 m to Burundi to carry on with the Phase 1 of the Nyakararo-Mwaro-Gitega Road Improvement and Asphalting Project. This report was issued on Friday last week.

Infrastructure improvement works pertains to a 30-kilometre-long Nyakararo-Mwaro-Kibumbu road, an undertaking that will see the country benefit from regional trade. The new Nyakararo-Mwaro-Gitega Road Improvement and Asphalting Project is also set to open access to the region, to help the region increase trade operations with other regions in the country.

Farmers in the region are set to benefit since it will be easier to market

their produce and procure inputs, once the Nyakararo-Mwaro-Gitega Road Improvement and Asphalting Project is complete. People in the region are also set to benefit from improved access to socio-economic infrastructure and will have a better opportunity to create new

initiatives.Apart from the AfDB’s support through

the Nyakararo-Mwaro-Gitega Road Improvement and Asphalting Project, Burundi could also benefit from IMF’s expansion of projects from 2013’s 4.5% to 4.7%.

Burundi’s US$29.49m road improvement and asphalting project

to enhance regional trade

Installation of geogrid in road construction: the Nyakararo-Mwaro-Gitega Road Improvement and Asphalting Project will help boost regional trade

NEWS / EAST AFRICA


The housing project will be undertaken by UPDF’s Engineering Brigade

together with Medallion Engineering Limited from China.

The cost of land is estimated at 1.2 billion Shillings while construction of the housing units will cost 16 billion Shillings. The houses will accommodate a total of 7500 families of the UPDF. Uganda forces have already started first phase construction, which will comprise of 16 units at the Masaka Armored Brigade.

The housing project is expected to help a major project to phase out grass thatched houses, a program launched in 2011. In addition to the project, the defense forces will also undertake construction of Air force hospital in Entebbe and the renovation of old buildings that are under the UPDF’s control.

The housing project, if implemented, will see the security sector take a 1.2 trillion Shillings – which is largest amount in the budget. Last year, it was announced that Shelter Afrique would spend US$200m in a housing project that would benefit 20, 000 Ugandans. The four year project would involve construction of 4,000 commercial and social housing units, schools, health centers and waste management facilities.

Uganda is suffering a massive housing deficit standing at 1.3 million units and is in need of affordable housing units. The country is just among many of the countries that are suffering from lack of affordable houses. The shortage has been fueled by increased urbanization and high population growth. Many countries are also seeing mass housing as a solution to the problem and others are already using new technologies to address the issue.

Uganda: UPDF to build 30,000 housing units

Uganda, through the Uganda People’s Defence Force is planning to spend US$177 million (17 billion Shillings) in in a housing project that would involve constructing 30,000 housing units for the soldiers. This is according to the 2015/2016 budget framework paper for the country. The units will be of great help to soldiers who are currently residing in barracks around the country.

Affordable mass housing project

HOUSING / UGANDA


Cement production in Kenya is soon to see a new entrant. A

new cement grinding plant is set to be constructed in Western Kenya on a 50 acre piece of land. It is projected to produce 730,000 tonnes of cement every year and hence enhance the competition in the industry.

“The plant will have the capacity to increase cement production in Kenya by 2,000 tonnes of cement per day using raw materials

such as clinker, additives, gypsum and pozzolona. With the exception of clinker that will be imported into the country, all the other in-puts will be mined locally,” said the company in its fillings with the National Environ-ment Management Authority (Nema).

East Africa and Kenya in particular has seen in-creased demand for cement because of the many kinds of infrastructure projects that are ongoing. Some of them include; the Standard Gauge Railway, Lamu Port South Sudan-Ethiopia Trans-

port corridor, Terminal Four at Jomo Kenyatta Interna-tional Airport in Nairobi, and real estate ventures.

Other players intending to increase cement produc-tion in Kenya are Dangote Group which plans to de-velop a US$ 358m cement factory with a capacity of three million tonnes in Kitui, Kenya. Cemtech which is a cement finish and concrete waterproofing company in Mauritius is also planning to construct a US$ 103m plant in Pokot which will have a capacity of 1.2m tones per year.

A new player to enter cement production in KenyaCemtech from Mauritius is also planning to construct a US$ 103m plant in Pokot

which will have a capacity of 1.2m tones

A new cement grinding plant is set to be constructed in Western Kenya on a 50 acre piece of land.

INFRASTRUCTURE / KENYA


main cement producers.Savannah’s new plant is also expected

to help increase its production capac-ity which currently stands at 1.5 million tonnes annually.

Demand for cement has risen steeply over the past two years in tandem with a host of several multi-billion shilling projects in both the public and private sectors.

The Sh174 billion Lamu coal power plant and the Sh300 billion standard gauge railway are among the projects that have pushed up demand for the key construction material.

Cement consumption grew by nearly a fifth to hit a record five million tonnes last year, driven mainly by robust growth in property development.

Fierce competition and a drop in the cost of energy have seen cost of the commodity drop to about Sh575 per 50kg bag, from more than Sh600.

Firms have been producing more ce-ment than the market can absorb, with statistics showing that production stood at 5.7 million tonnes last year, up from 5.05 million tonnes the previous year.

Standard Investment Bank, in its latest report on the sector, says production will rise to 6.3 million tonnes this year and 6.7 million tonnes next year.

Savannah last year announced that it has bagged tenders worth $250 million (Sh23 billion) for the supply of cement to several projects, in both infrastructure and real estate markets.

The firm has won contracts to sup-ply cement for government projects including construction of Terminal 4 at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), the ongoing building of the Sh55.6 billion JKIA greenfield terminal and the Sh4.5 billion Ruiru Sewerage plant.

Mauritian company Seruji has ac-quired a 60% stake in Athi River-based Savannah Cement following approval from the Competition Authority of Kenya (CA).

Seruji completed the buyout from Chi-na's Wan Ho International, which held 40% and Acme Wanji, which owned 20%. Savannah Heights has retained a minority stake in Savannah Cement. The shareholding shake-up makes Savannah

Cement Kenya's first fully-owned cement producer, as both Seruji and Savan-nah are owned by Savannah Cement founder Benson Ndeta.

The buyout comes ahead of a planned US$250m clinker plant project in Athi River by Savannah Cement, which aims to reduce its operating costs by eliminating clinker imports. Cement demand has risen steeply over the past two years in tandem with a host of several large projects in both the public and private sectors. The US$1.88bn Lamu coal power plant and the US$3.23bn standard gauge railway are among the projects that have increased domestic cement demand.

Domestic cement consumption grew by nearly 20% to hit a record 5Mt in 2014, driven mainly by robust growth in property development. However, Kenya's cement producers have been produc-ing more cement than the market can absorb. In 2014 production hit 5.7Mt, up from 5.05Mt in 2013. The Standard Investment Bank has forecast that pro-duction will rise to 6.3Mt in 2015 and 6.7Mt in 2016.

Close to 1,600 buildings have been inspected in Nairobi by the Buildings Inspectorate and out of that figure, close to 800 buildings were considered

defective and this is a result of poor safety standards in the construction industry in Kenya.

Moses Nyakiongora, the secretary of the recently established Buildings Inspectorate at the Land, Housing and Urban Planning ministry, said that about 48 per cent of the buildings are okay, but the other 52 per cent needed to be attended to.

“The 52 per cent are not all condemned, but they must be improved. Some of them will need strengthening, some will need to improve on ventilation, water provision, and light provision to make them habitable,” he explained.

According to the Buildings Inspectorate most of these buildings lack good lighting systems, lack enough air circulation that results to various respiratory diseases and basically have a weak structure that does not fit to the expectations.

Over 50 per cent of inspected buildings in Nairobi defective

A section of urban buildings being put up in Nairobi: 800 buildings were considered defective and this is a result of poor safety standards in the construction industry in Kenya.



The main objective for Intershelter Sullivan Architects is to be in an international provider of housing design solutions – hence the name Intershelter – which specifically focuses on sustainable and affordable housing. However with growth, there has arisen a need to revamp

the company’s market strategy and more optimally harness the wealth of multi-disciplinary experience and expertise of the company’s team in order to provide high quality, timely and cost effective consultancy services to Clients.

Indeed, Intershelter Sullivan Architects has achieved tremendous growth since its inception in the early nineties – It was then registered as a business in 1988 under the name Intershelter Consultants. The name subsequently changed to Intershelter Consultancy Services and, owing to the need to specifically focus on its core business, the name was later changed to Intershelter Sullivan Architects, incorporated in 2002.

Architect William Busolo, the founder and current Principal Architect at Intershelter Sullivan Architects, built and horned his

Growing into the future with confidenceSullivan Architects’

INTERSHELTER

Our operations for the last 18 years in the building industry has enabled us acquire both knowledge and important technical and managerial skills in the built environment.

PROFILE / INTERSHELTER SULLIVAN


formidable skills while at the Ministry of Public Works (as it was then known), where he rose through the ranks to become the Chief Superintending Architect at the Ministry. It was during this time that the government of Kenya was setting up structures to house its operations.

Subsequently, Arch. Busolo was actively involved in overseeing design and development of several landmark government buildings that still find a lot of use and prominence in today’s devolved government.

The Kisumu Provincial Headquarters which currently houses The Kisumu county Government; County Assembly offices and other various government departments; the Provincial Police Headquarters of Kakamega; Embu Police Housing scheme and some Kenya Defense Forces facilities stand out among these.

It is this expertise and wealth of experience that Arch. Busolo brought to Intershelter Sullivan Architects when he founded the company, with a vision to lead it to be the leading company in East and Central Africa in its category, providing high quality and cost effective professional consultancy services.

Developing adequate capacity in terms of human resources and equipment in handling projects of various magnitudes has been key to the company’s growth and development, in the process inspiring trust and confidence from a wide variety of clients in the region.

“Our operations for the last 18 years in the building industry has enabled us acquire both knowledge and important technical and managerial skills in the

built environment,” says Arch. Busolo.Intershelter Sullivan Architects is

already well-rooted in several counties, delivering design solutions for both high-end and middle segments of the market. The company has a branch office in Kisumu to efficiently serve clients in the western region. The recently completed Msangura office complex in Mbale, Kakamega was an instant commercial hit with several large banks, local business people and other companies seeking to establish a foothold in the county quickly taking up space.

ISA has also attracted clients from the coastal, eastern and central regions for whom the company has designed structures for religious, commercial, government, private sector commercial, educational and administrative purposes.

For instance, the firm was also involved in the design and development

of a girls’ boarding school in Mt. Elgon where its team delivered an office-cum-library block and various amenities; as well as a primary school classroom block as part of an educational centre that will include a nursery school.

Additionally, Moke Gardens being developed in Lukenya near Daystar University is a major project which is estimated to take five years to complete. ISA are the project managers and landscape Architects. The villas comprise studios, flats of 1 – 3 bedrooms making a total of over 2000 units, at the total project cost of an estimated KShs. 7 billion.

In keeping with the company’s international ambitions, ISA is

currently working on an office-cum accommodation building in Bujumbura Burundi. Phase 1 is complete and the projects lifespan is pegged at three years, while Phase 2 is yet to commence, pending funds.

“We are also registered in Rwanda and Burundi and we are also seeking partnerships to enable us to work in other countries with backgrounds of varying cultural and business conditions,” Arch. Busolo reveals.

Across the borders, I S A has worked with the several institutions such as The Catholic church at Jinja, Uganda, where they developed a convent, guest house; and a specialized school for the physically challenged persons/ persons with special needs handicapped equipped with facilities including a playfield and workshops.

To achieve growth internationally, Arch. Busolo states that the firm’s



The buyout comes ahead of a planned $250 million (Sh23 billion) clinker plant construction in Athi River by the manufacturer, which aims to reduce its

operating costs by eliminating importation of the key raw material.

Mauritian firm Seruji has acquired a 60 per cent stake in Savannah Cement following approval from the Competition Authority of Kenya (CA), giving it the lion’s share of the Athi River-based firm.

Seruji completed the buyout from Chinese firms Wan Ho International which held 40 per cent and Acme Wanji which owned 20 per cent of the cement manufacturer. The move leaves Savannah Heights the minority stake in the firm.

The shareholding shakeup makes the company Kenya’s first cement producer fully owned by locals, as both Seruji and Savannah are owned by Savannah Ce-ment founder Benson Ndeta and other Kenyan partners.

In a statement released on Sunday, Seruji spokesman Alfred Ng’ang’a said:

‘‘Following the acquisition of the 60 per cent stake by Seruji Ltd, Savannah Ce-ment now becomes Kenya’s first, wholly locally owned cement manufacturing firm. The firm will now be a 100 per cent owned by Seruji Limited and Savannah Heights, entities which are wholly owned by indigenous Kenyan entrepreneurs.’’

The buyout was completed in Novem-ber last year. It comes ahead of a planned $250 million (Sh23 billion) clinker plant construction in Athi River by the manufac-turer, which aims to reduce its operating costs by eliminating importation of the key raw material.

The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) on Friday published a notice giving its approval for the acquisition.

“It is notified for general information that the Competition Authority of Kenya has approved the proposed acquisition of 60 per cent of the shareholdings of Sa-vannah Cement Limited of Seruji Limited,” the gazette notice reads.

Bamburi, East African Portland Cement, National Cement, Mombasa Cement and ARM Cement make the list of Kenya’s

Mauritius’ Seruji buys 60pc stake in Savannah Cement

It is notified for general information that the Competition Authority of Kenya has approved the proposed acquisition of 60 per cent of the shareholdings of Savannah Cement Limited of Seruji Limited.



A US$ 600m cement factory which has a production capacity of 2.5 million tonnes of cement has been opened in Ethiopia. The

factory which belongs to the Dangote Group will help the country hugely grow its economy.

“The country’s economy has been a growth trajectory, mostly driven by agriculture, and large scale construction but the emergence of the cement factory will help increase the economy,” said

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn.

During the event to commission the factory, the Prime Minister invited several investors to witness its inauguration as its rising demand will serve as a big opportunity.

The factory is located 90 kilometers North West of the capital, Addis Ababa and it is anticipated to boost the production capacity of local cement factories from the present 12.5 million metric tonnes per year to 15 million metric tons.

Ethiopia has a vision of growing cement production by 5 million tones by next year and this initiative is definitely expected to boost their growth.

Dangote Group runs cement factories in Senegal, Zambia, Cameroon and South Africa. The company plans to enter the Kenyan market later this year and this will add on to their ambition to expand and grow across Africa. They plan to develop a US$ 358m cement factory with a capacity of three million tonnes in Kitui, Kenya.

US$ 600m Cement Factory opened in

Ethiopia

INFRASTRUCTURE / ETHIOPIA


We are happy to be associated with

Intershelter Sullivan Architects

2nd Floor, Morningside Office Park, Ngong RoadP.O. Box 31728-00600, Nairobi Kenya

Tel: 0722 517330 / 0723 770129 / 2122053/54156, 020 2081239 Email: [email protected]

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intention is to adhere to values of Integrity, Professionalism and Excellence, delivering satisfaction and meeting and surpassing the clients’ expectations. This is indeed the strongest foundation to growth.

This has necessitated a need to restructure. Currently, the company has three key areas of operation comprising; supervision of project design and contract management which this far has remained the company’s core business; Landscaping and Environmental Planning , a strategic response to an increasingly sophisticated and demanding Client with particular interest on the total outlook of the end product (environmental approach to design). ISA’s experts also employ and integrate sound environmental appraisals principles such as undertaking environmental impact assessment on their work during this process.

According to Arch Busolo, it was not envisaged at beginning, but ISA currently engages in training of interns and young professionals. He sees this as coming naturally to him because since his days at the Ministry of Public Works, he actively participated in the launch and development of careers of a number of Kenyan youth, including facilitating overseas placement for

deserving cases from government departments. To him it is a passion that has never gone away.

“We offer attachment and internship to architectural students and technicians who supplement the professionals,” says Busolo. “These are drawn from various local institutions such as Technical University of Kenya (formerly Kenya Polytechnic), University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya Institute of Highways and Buildings Technology (KIHBT), and Nairobi Institute of Technology (NIT) among others,” he

adds. Landscape architecture is a recent

addition in Kenya and Legislation is currently being worked on in parliament to shape and regulate the profession. Incidentally, Arch. Busolo lecturers extensively on Landscape Architecture at a local university.

“Previously, it was considered enough to complete a structure, plant grass a few flowers and shrubs and call it landscaping,” say Land. Arch. Stephen Ochando, lead landscape architect at ISA. He points out that client are waking up and acknowledging the fact that a holistic approach to developing a structure has a significant baring bearing on the overall success of a building and its function.

“Landscaping enhances the aesthetic value and helps the structure to work ‘with’ the natural landscape and NOT ‘for’ the landscape. It is about how well the structure blends into the landscape, careful grading the site for proper drainage; careful and cautious plant selection that are creatively and



thematically planted; pathway design and finally the overall maintenance,” says Arch. Ochando.

“Landscaping touches everywhere on the plot a structure is built on, with features like gazebos and fountains can be added,” advises Ochando. He reveals that uptake on landscaping services has been good, but there is still a challenge convincing clients on why they have to spend extra and engage a landscape architect to add aesthetic value to their finished structures.

Landscaping has this far been loosely confined to planting of flowers and herbs shrubs. That is why what we see on Uhuru Highway as we approach it from Waiyaki way is a forest developing and not genuine landscaping coupled with drainage issues on our roads. Plausible efforts have been made on the Thika Highway and CBD roundabouts, but again not up to the standard that should have been achieved given the massive traffic and strategic importance of these roads and spaces.

Project management is gaining increased momentum at the firm and it is this area that Arch. Busolo is keen to now focus on. Arch. Busolo feels the company has matured enough to warrant its division into specialist departments headed by younger generation professionals he pursues the project management arm of the company he started almost three decades ago.

His mentorship and management style has cultivated a culture of brilliance, diligence, efficiency and responsibility among the staff.

Asked whether there is anything he could have done differently, he says perhaps he should have “let go” to his young but adequately experienced team earlier.

A growth minded and serious professional, Arch. Busolo is a perfectionist who seeks to bring out the very best out of those around him, be it other relevant professionals that work with ISA in projects, contractors or staff in the office. He has thus adopted a strategy of trusting and empowering his charges to work with minimum supervision, encouraging them to delve deep into their abilities and put their best foot forward at all times.

“The creative element is palpable, as the team is trained to work with minimal supervision and be involved in all aspects of the firm to ensure making

informed decisions and taking responsibility for them.”

Like most successful firms today, Busolo started the firm small –with a team of four, including one office support staff. There is now a lean team of 3 full time Architects and 2 landscape Architects, supported by technicians as well as number of support staff. This number will undoubtedly grow with the new direction the company is taking.

And Arch. Busolo has come from far.

After graduating in 1977 from the University of Nairobi, he joined the Ministry of works which later

became Ministry of Public Works and was registered as an architect in 1981. He rose through the ranks within the ministry and up to 1994, he was the Chief Superintending Architect – during which time he undertook further training in Japan and Sweden.

His thirst for knowledge and desire to scale the heights of his chosen profession saw him pursue and attain a Master of Science Degree in Architecture in 1989 that gave him a better understanding of the dynamics of architecture.

Arch. Busolo opted for early retirement instead of changing jobs, and formed Intershelter Architects.

Arch. Busolo speaks with optimism about the future. His team has tendered for several proposals for County Assemblies, signaling a clear intention to stamp a firm footprint across Kenya as the devolved government system continues to take shape.

“We of course look forward to winning these, not losing,” he declares.

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Developing adequate capacity in terms of human resources and equipment in handling projects of various magnitudes has been key to the company’s growth and development, in the process inspiring trust and confidence from a wide variety of clients in the region.



Ethiopia’s Oromia State Deputy President Abdulaziz Mohamed has laid the cornerstone to commence construction of a new

sports complex in Sululta. The new Sululta Sports Centre will be constructed at a cost of US$29.2m (600 million birr).

The Deputy President said the new modern sports complex facility would help in development of sports in the country. He said construction of the facility showed the Ethiopia government’s aspiration “to build sports on solid foundation”. Head of the Oromia Youth and Sports Bureau

Mohamed Jilo has said that the new Sululta Sports Centre, which will be constructed on a 23 acre piece of land, will be large enough to host 800 trainees at once.

The new sports complex will be constructed 30 kilometres from the capital Addis Ababa on the road to Bahir Dar. Set for construction according to Head of the Oromia Youth and Sports Bureau Mohamed Jilo said at the launching ceremony will be two standard football pitches, Olympic-size swimming pool and playing ground to accommodate 13 different sports.

The Deputy President said Ethiopia was known for athletics the world over and would maintain the status in “a

very coordinated way”. The Sululta Sports Centre complex is expected in the coming four years and sources from Oromia Youth and Sports Bureau show that the sports complex project is part of a five-year plan to be implemented.

Last year, MH Engineering Plc won a tender for design, supervision and contract administration of a 60, 000 capacity national stadium in Addis Ababa, the Adey Abeba stadium at a cost of two billion Birr. The tender was awarded by Ethiopia’s Federal Sports Commission (FSC). Ethiopia announced it would accept bids last month April from local and international contractors, for construction of the new stadium.

Ethiopia: Oromia lays foundation for a sports

complex projectAn initial design for the stadium which had been designed by

Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA)

INFRASTRUCTURE / ETHIOPIA

volume 4 issue 016, may - june 2015

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