Consultancy Services for Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA/EIA), Engineering Surveys, Detailed Engineering Designs and Tender Support Consultancy

Consultancy Services for Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA/EIA), Engineering Surveys, Detailed Engineering Designs and Tender Support

Water Supply Enhancement Program for Low-Income Communities (WASEP)

Marsabit County, Kenya

Procurement Reference No. 2423

Assignment Duration: October 2026 – Jan 2026

1. Background and Project Context
The Millennium Water Alliance (MWA), in partnership with the M-PESA Foundation and the Marsabit Water and Sewerage Company (MARWASCO), is implementing the Water Supply Enhancement Program for Low-Income Communities (WASEP) in Marsabit County, Kenya. The Program, valued at approximately KES 82.3 million, runs from June 2026 to June 2027 and aims to expand access to safe, reliable, and affordable water services for low-income communities in Marsabit town and its environs, specifically the communities of Karantina, Majengo, Dakabaricha, Adihuuka, and Mataarba.

Marsabit County lies within Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), where water insecurity is a persistent constraint on household welfare, public health, and economic opportunity. WASEP responds to this challenge through a combination of climate-resilient water supply infrastructure, renewable energy for water pumping, non-revenue water (NRW) reduction through smart metering, and institutional strengthening of MARWASCO as the mandated utility.

MWA, as Lead Implementing Agency, now seeks to engage an independent, qualified, and experienced consulting firm (“the Consultant”) to undertake the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA/EIA), engineering surveys, detailed engineering designs, and preparation of tender documentation for the Program’s infrastructure investments. The Consultant’s output will form the basis for the statutory NEMA EIA license and the competitive procurement of civil works contractors under multiple LOTs.

1.1 Infrastructure Scope to be Designed
The assignment covers the ESIA and detailed engineering designs for the following infrastructure package:

One (1) No. 500 m³ ground-level distribution tank for treated water;
Three (3) No. 50 m³ elevated steel tanks, 9 m high, at Majengo, Mataarba, and Adihuuka;
Approximately 39.1 km of water pipeline network (transmission and distribution), including pressure testing, disinfection, and commissioning requirements;
Five (5) No. water kiosks with storage tanks connected to the reticulation system at Mataarba, Adihuuka, Karantina, Shauri Yako/Nyayo Road, and Majengo;
Solarization of the Mataarba and Adihuuka boreholes, comprising solar PV arrays, pumping systems, and associated electrical works;
Smart metering architecture comprising 350 No. household and institutional smart meters and 20 No. zonal smart meters at District Metered Area (DMA) boundaries, including integration requirements with MARWASCO’s billing system.
2. Objectives of the Assignment
The overall objective of the assignment is to provide MWA and its partners with a complete, approved, and construction-ready package of environmental safeguards documentation, detailed engineering designs, and tender documentation for the WASEP infrastructure investments. The specific objectives are to:

Undertake a comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA/EIA) of the proposed works in accordance with the Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act (EMCA), 1999 (as amended in 2015) and the Environmental (Impact Assessment and Audit) Regulations, 2003 (as amended), and secure the NEMA EIA Licence on behalf of the Client;
Carry out all necessary engineering surveys and investigations (topographical, geotechnical, hydraulic, and condition assessments) for the infrastructure package;
Prepare detailed engineering designs, hydraulic models, drawings, technical specifications, engineer’s cost estimates, and Bills of Quantities (BoQs) for all infrastructure components;
Support the design review and validation process with MWA, M-PESA Foundation/Safaricom technical teams, and MARWASCO engineering staff, and incorporate agreed comments;
Prepare complete, LOT-based tender documents for the competitive procurement of civil works contractors and provide technical support during the tendering process (pre-bid meetings, clarifications, and technical evaluation support).
3. Scope of Services
The scope of services is organized into four interlinked components. The Consultant shall execute the ESIA (Component B) and the engineering surveys and designs (Component C) in parallel, in line with the Program work plan.

3.1 Component A: Inception and Mobilization
Review all available project documentation, including the WASEP work plan, MARWASCO operational data, existing borehole records, water demand data, and any prior studies;
Undertake an inception site visit to Marsabit, including consultations with MARWASCO, the Marsabit County Government (Department of Water), and community focal groups in the five target communities;
Confirm the methodology, detailed work programme, staffing schedule, survey plan, and stakeholder engagement plan;
Prepare and present an Inception Report for approval by MWA.
3.2 Component B: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA/EIA)
Undertake screening and scoping of the proposed works, and prepare and submit the ESIA Terms of Reference/Scoping Report to NEMA for approval, as required;
Establish the environmental and social baseline for the project area, including physical, biological, and socio-economic conditions, land tenure and wayleave considerations along the 39.1 km pipeline corridor, and water resources context (in liaison with the Water Resources Authority as applicable);
Conduct meaningful public and stakeholder consultations in the five target communities and with key state agencies (NEMA, WRA, KFS, KWS, WSTF, WASREB, County Government), documenting attendance, issues raised, and responses;
Identify, predict, and evaluate potential environmental and social impacts (construction and operational phases), including labour influx, occupational and community health and safety, gender-based violence risks, vulnerable and marginalized groups considerations, and cumulative impacts with other active ASAL water programmes in Marsabit (e.g., RAPID+, HoAGW4RP);
Screen for any physical or economic displacement along pipeline routes and kiosk sites and, where required, advise on and prepare the appropriate land/wayleave consent documentation or livelihood restoration measures;
Prepare a costed Environmental and Social Management and Monitoring Plan (ESMMP) with clear mitigation measures, responsibilities, and indicators, structured for direct incorporation into the civil works contracts;
Prepare and submit the ESIA Study Report to NEMA, pay requisite statutory review fees (reimbursable, as provided in the financial proposal), respond to NEMA review comments, and diligently follow up the application through the statutory regulatory waiting period until issuance of the NEMA EIA Licence;
Advise MWA and MARWASCO on any licence conditions and their integration into contractor obligations.
3.3 Component C: Engineering Surveys and Detailed Engineering Designs
Carry out topographical surveys of all tank sites, kiosk sites, borehole sites, and the full pipeline corridor, with survey beacons referenced to the national grid;
Undertake geotechnical investigations at the 500 m³ tank site and the three elevated steel tank sites sufficient for foundation design;
Assess the condition, tested yields, and water quality of the Mataarba and Adihuuka boreholes and design appropriate solar PV arrays, pumping systems, and electrical works, including pump sizing, solar grid/hybrid arrangements as applicable, lightning protection, and remote monitoring provisions;
Develop a calibrated hydraulic model (e.g., EPANET or equivalent) of the transmission and distribution network, confirming demand projections, pressure zones, DMA boundaries, and the location and sizing of the 20 zonal smart meters;
Prepare detailed structural, civil, mechanical, and electrical designs for the 500 m³ distribution tank, the three 9 m-high 50 m³ elevated steel tanks, the 39.1 km pipeline network, and the five water kiosks, in accordance with the Kenyan Practice Manual for Water Supply Services, relevant Kenyan and international standards (KS/BS/ISO), and WASREB guidelines;
Design the smart metering architecture (350 household/institutional meters and 20 zonal DMA meters), including meter specifications, communications technology, data management arrangements, and integration requirements with MARWASCO’s billing system;
Prepare detailed design drawings, technical specifications, engineer’s confidential cost estimates, and itemized Bills of Quantities structured by procurement LOT;
Present the draft designs at a joint design review and validation meeting with MWA, M-PESA Foundation/Safaricom technical teams, and MARWASCO engineering staff, and incorporate all agreed review comments into the final designs.
3.4 Component D: Tender Documentation
Advise on and confirm the optimal packaging of the works into LOTs for execution by multiple contractors, taking account of the construction weather windows and contractor market capacity;
Prepare complete tender documents for each LOT, including instructions to tenderers, conditions of contract, specifications, drawings, priced/unpriced BoQs, and evaluation criteria, consistent with MWA procurement procedures and good practice under the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act framework where applicable;
Note: Construction supervision will be procured separately. However, MWA reserves the right, at its sole discretion and subject to satisfactory performance and available budget, to negotiate an extension of the Consultant’s services to cover some components of construction supervision.

4. Deliverables and Milestone Schedule
All deliverables shall be submitted in three (3) hard copies and editable electronic formats (MS Word/Excel, AutoCAD/native design files, GIS shapefiles, and PDF). The milestone dates below are anchored to the approved WASEP work plan and are contractually binding. The Consultant is expected to commence services by Early Nov 2026, immediately upon contract award. Table 1. Click for Complete TOR.

5. Duration, Timing and Level of Effort
The assignment is expected to run for approximately four (4) months, from contract award in August 2026 to completion of tender support in November 2026, with residual follow-up on the NEMA licence as required. The ESIA workstream (Component B) and the survey/design workstream (Component C) shall run in parallel from commencement. The Consultant shall propose a staffing schedule with the level of effort (person-days) per expert per component; time input is indicatively estimated at 10–14 person-months in aggregate across the team.

6. Key Team Members and Qualifications
The Consultant shall field a multidisciplinary team. The following key experts are mandatory and will be individually scored during technical evaluation. CVs, certified copies of academic and professional certificates, and valid practising licences (where applicable) must be submitted for each key expert. Substitution of key experts after contract award shall require prior written approval by MWA and shall be with persons of equal or better qualifications.

Table 2. Click for Complete TOR.

7. Mandatory Administrative Requirements (Eligibility)
The following documents are mandatory. Failure to submit any of them shall render the proposal non-responsive and it shall not be evaluated further:

Certificate of Incorporation or Registration of the firm (and of each Joint Venture partner, where applicable), together with CR12 or equivalent showing current directors/shareholders;
Valid Tax Compliance Certificate from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), valid as at the submission deadline;
eTIMS Compliance Invoices,must be registered on the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) eTIMS system;
Certificate of registration of the firm with NEMA as a Firm of Experts, valid for 2026, together with the valid practicing license of the proposed NEMA Lead Expert;
Certificate of registration of the firm with the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) as an engineering consulting firm, valid for 2026 (or evidence of an association/ with an EBK-registered firm covering the engineering design scope);
Valid Single Business Permit / Unified Business Permit;
Duly completed, signed, and stamped Form of Proposal Submission and a signed Self-Declaration that the firm is not debarred, insolvent, or subject to any conflict of interest, and that it has not engaged and will not engage in corrupt, fraudulent, coercive, or collusive practices;
A signed declaration of commitment to safeguarding, including prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PSEAH), and to the Client’s child protection and code of conduct requirements;
For Joint Ventures: a signed JV/teaming agreement or letter of intent clearly identifying the lead partner and the division of responsibilities; all mandatory documents shall be submitted for each JV partner;
Audited financial statements for the last two (2) financial years (2024 and 2025) demonstrate financial capacity to pre-finance the services under milestone-based payments.
8. Technical Requirements (Firm Experience and Capability)
In addition to the mandatory administrative requirements, the firm shall demonstrate the following technical capability, which will be scored during evaluation:

At least eight (8) years of corporate existence in engineering consultancy and/or environmental assessment services;
Successful completion of at least three (3) detailed engineering design assignments for water supply infrastructure (tanks, pipelines of at least 20 km, and/or pumping systems) within the last seven (7) years, evidenced by contracts, completion certificates, or client reference letters;
Successful completion of at least three (3) ESIA assignments for water or related infrastructure that culminated in the issuance of a NEMA EIA Licence within the last seven (7) years, evidenced by copies of the licences or client references;
Demonstrated experience working in ASAL counties and with community engagement in pastoralist and peri-urban low-income settings;
Demonstrated experience in the design of solar-powered borehole pumping systems and in smart/prepaid metering and DMA-based NRW management (experience integrating metering with utility billing systems is an added advantage);
Adequacy of the proposed methodology, work plan, and risk management approach, including explicit treatment of the OND 2026 rainfall/El Niño risk window, the parallel ESIA-design-tendering sequencing, and coordination with other active water programmes in Marsabit;
Quality assurance systems/ documented internal QA/QC procedures are an added advantage);
Demonstrated logistical capacity to mobilize and sustain field teams in Marsabit County.
8.1 Indicative Evaluation Framework
Proposals will be evaluated using Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS). Technical proposals shall carry 80% of the total score, and financial proposals 20%. The indicative distribution of the technical score is firm-specific experience (30 points); adequacy of methodology and work plan (30 points); qualifications and competence of key experts (20 points); and knowledge transfer/participation of MARWASCO staff (10 points). The minimum technical qualifying score is 75 points. MWA reserves the right to adjust this framework in the Request for Proposals.

9. Reporting, Coordination and Institutional Arrangements
The Consultant shall report to the MWA WASEP Program Lead, who will be the Client’s designated contact for the assignment. A joint technical committee comprising MWA, M-PESA Foundation/Safaricom technical teams, and MARWASCO engineering staff will review the deliverables; MARWASCO will coordinate introductions to county-level stakeholders (County Government, KFS, KWS, WRA, WSTF, WASREB). The Consultant shall:

Submit brief weekly progress updates by email, covering progress against the milestone schedule, issues, and decisions required;
Participate in the joint design review and validation meeting and in review meetings where requested;
Actively involve MARWASCO technical staff in surveys, design development, and the hydraulic model handover, as an explicit knowledge-transfer obligation;
Flag, in writing and without delay, any risk to the milestone schedule, particularly any risk to the NEMA licence timeline.
10. Payment Schedule
Payments shall be milestone-based upon signing of the contract, in Kenya Shillings, against acceptance of deliverables by MWA, as follows:. Table 3. Click for Complete TOR.

11. Client Inputs and Obligations
Provision of all available project documentation, MARWASCO records, borehole data, and prior studies;
Letters of introduction to county authorities and state agencies, with stakeholder coordination facilitated by MARWASCO;
Timely review of deliverables: the Client will provide consolidated comments within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of each deliverable;
Convening of the design review and validation workshop and of tender-related meetings;
Timely payment of accepted milestone invoices.
The Consultant shall be responsible for all its own logistics, including transport, accommodation, field equipment, survey instruments, insurance, and the security of its personnel while in the field.

12. General Conditions
Confidentiality: all data, reports, and designs produced under this assignment are confidential and remain the property of MWA and its Program partners; the Consultant shall not publish or disclose any material without MWA’s prior written consent;
Intellectual property: all deliverables, including native design files, models, and GIS data, shall vest in MWA upon payment;
Conflict of interest: the Consultant, its affiliates, and its key experts shall be ineligible to participate, directly or indirectly, in the civil works contracts arising from the designs and tender documents prepared under this assignment;
Standards: all designs shall comply with applicable Kenyan law, the Practice Manual for Water Supply Services in Kenya, WASREB guidelines, KEBS/KS standards, and relevant BS/ISO standards; ESIA work shall comply with EMCA and NEMA regulations;
Safeguarding and code of conduct: the Consultant shall comply with MWA’s safeguarding, PSEAH, anti-fraud, and anti-corruption policies at all times;
Insurance: the Consultant shall maintain professional indemnity, public liability, and workmen’s compensation cover for the duration of the assignment.
Click for Complete TOR.

How to apply
Proposal Submission Requirements
Interested firms shall submit separate Technical and Financial Proposals. The Technical Proposal shall include: the mandatory administrative documents (Section 7); firm experience with evidence (Section 8); comments on these Terms of Reference; the proposed methodology, detailed work plan aligned to the milestone schedule in Section 4, and risk management approach; the team composition, task assignments, and staffing schedule; and CVs signed by each key expert. The Financial Proposal shall provide a lump-sum price in Kenya Shillings, broken down by component and by expert (fee rates and person-days), with reimbursables (including statutory NEMA fees) itemized separately and all applicable taxes indicated.

Proposals shall be submitted to mwakinfo@mwawater.org by 15th Oct 2026 at 5:00pm, with the email subject line as Consultancy Services for ESIA/EIA, Engineering Surveys, Detailed Engineering Designs and Tender Support. Late submissions shall not be accepted.

Clarification requests shall be submitted in writing to the designated MWA contact email address mwakinfo@mwawater.org with the subject line as Clarification-Consultancy Services ESIA/EIA, Engineering Surveys, Detailed Engineering Designs and Tender Support on no later than three (3) working days before the submission deadline.

Note: Applicants who do not meet the stipulated evaluation criteria or minimum qualifying score will not be shortlisted for the next stage and may not be contacted individually regarding the outcome of their application. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for further engagement, where applicable.

MWA reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal, and to annul the selection process and reject all proposals at any time, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected firms.