•According to the board implementation of the fees will enable developers to accurately estimate the cost of their projects, result in value for money.
•The Engineers (Scale of Fees for Professional Engineering Services) Rules, 2022 was gazetted on 18th May, 2022 and commissioned on 19th July, 2022.
Image: JACKTONE LAWI
The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) has called for collaborations in the implementation a new pricing system for engineers that was passed in 2022.
The Scale of Fees for Professional Engineering Services is a document that stipulates the amount of money that different cadres of engineers can charge for a project.
According to the board implementation of the fees will enable developers to accurately estimate the cost of their projects, result in value for money in the construction projects as well as guarantee public safety.
“With this documents Kenyans will now be able to question the engineer on why they are charging a specific amount for their professional services” said the registrar and CEO of the board Margaret Ogai.
the implementation of the Engineers Scale of Fees is required to be carried out by all Ministries Departments and Government Agencies, developers and all the consumers of professional engineering services.
The Chairman of Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), Erastus Mwongera noted that all stakeholders in government, construction, urban planners, surveyors, architects, regulators, county governments, engineers and engineering institutions will have to observe the new professional fees.
During the first stakeholder sensitisation forum on the implementation of the fees, it emerged that despite the push for standardised fees, there is inadequate technical capacity in engineering in the counties to carry out approval of documents and provide oversight to the projects under construction.
EBK highlighted that several developers, including counties do not engage professional engineers during the entire project cycle which consists from design, supervision to operation and maintenance.
“The Board carried out a County-Wide Structural Assessment of the On-Going Building Construction and established that Personnel who are not registered with the Board as professional engineers were heading key engineering functions,” said Chairman of the Board, Engineer Erastus Mwongera.
In the short-term, County Governments have been encouraged to come up with panels of professional engineers to offer the servicesairman.
To meet the deficit EBK announced it is looking to raise professionalism in the counties, from 3000 to 10,000 professional engineers in the next 5 years.
In its effort to increase the uptake of professional engineering services the board also pointed out that it is developing the Engineers Project Registration Portal and will be commissioning by end of January, 2023.
Through the portal lending institutions such banks will have a database of registered engineers working on a project before releasing funding for the projects.
“If you’re not registered the bank will know it’s is dealing with an unregistered personnel. This will make it easier to engage professionals,” noted Former Institute of Engineers of Kenya president Nathaniel Matalanga.
Stakeholders in the sector noted that Cooperation among government agencies and implementation of the scale of fees for professional engineers will fast track the pace in enhancing professionalism in regulation and implement key policies for transformation and national development.
The Engineers (Scale of Fees for Professional Engineering Services) Rules, 2022 was gazetted on 18th May, 2022 and commissioned on 19th July, 2022.
Thereafter, on 2nd August, 2022 the circular on implementation from the Ministry was issued to all consumers of professional engineering services that from 15th August, 2022, the Scale of Fees were effected.