About WE consult

water out of pump

Water & Environment

The WE Group is a group of companies consisting of water resources and environmental specialists, GIS and database experts and engineers providing professional advice and management for development projects in Eastern and Southern Africa. From preliminary analysis to design, costing and construction supervision, WE help people reach their project goals.

WE Consult, under a combination of national and international management, delivers professional services at competitive rates in Uganda since 1997 and in Mozambique since 2003. In 2010 the company AquaQuest was founded in Zambia and joined the WE Group. In 2019, WE Consult Uganda joined forces with BRL Ingénierie , an international consulting firm offering specialised engineering services in areas related to water, the environment and regional land-use management. WE Consult is operational in Uganda, Mozambique, South Sudan, DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Surinam and Zambia. Clients range from international NGOs, bilateral and multilateral development partners, national and district local governments, to drilling contractors, private land owners and engineering consultants.

General history

The company started as Water, Environment & Geo Services Ltd. (WEGS Consultants) in Uganda in 1997. In 2003 Water, Environment and Geo Services Ltd started operating under the trade name WE Consult, and incorporated a second company in Mozambique. In 2010, WE Consult shareholders formed the company AquaQuest. These three companies collaborate closely within the framework of the WE Group.

WE Consult as part of the WE Group now has offices in Kampala (Uganda), Maputo (Mozambique), and Lusaka (Zambia) and has implemented projects in Uganda, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, South Sudan, South Africa, Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC. After a long standing partnership and cooperation with French water engineering company BRLi ever since 2003, in 2019 WE Consult Uganda was acquired by BRLi, strengthening the knowledge base and broadening the fields of expertise of both companies.

The company can build on a regional presence of more than 23 years and has been able to build up a large network of regional and international specialists in the water and environment sectors including social scientists, environmentalists, hydrogeologists and engineers. The long period of regional experience has resulted in a base of trusted local partners and contractors, providing ready services for projects in any field of expertise.

WE Consult Uganda

WE Consult Mozambique

Sustainability

Sustainable rural water supplies through a unique implementation approach

WE Consult has formed a long term working relationship with the drilling company TGS Water and the international NGO Link to Progress (LTP) to realize high standard water supplies in the rural areas of Northern Uganda. Together we work with the various fundraising partners in the Netherlands and USA. The combined knowledge and capacities of WE Consult, TGS Water and LTP and sharing of basic costs (office, administration, transport, staff) leads to high quality cost-efficient water supplies.

The synergy of the partners ensures that donors of LTP get real value for money. Water projects through LTP cost half the money other larger NGOs are budgeting for and the thorough knowledge of the water resources situation in Uganda of the local partners allows LTP to select the cheapest type of water source. We all believe that highly professional services form the basis for the development of sustainable rural water supplies.

Foundation WE Consult Africa

In March 2014, the WE Group launched a new foundation with its office in Amsterdam, The Netherlands: The foundation WE Consult Africa.

This foundation facilitates and optimises cooperation and interaction between Dutch international aid organisations and professional implementing organisations and companies throughout the African continent.

WE Consult Africa does fundraising and arranges for exchanging knowledge in  water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), in construction, consultancy & civil engineering. The Netherlands has vast experience and knowledge in these sectors that could be put to use in developing countries to allow acceleration of their development, which is a primary incentive for the foundation.








African companies often find it difficult to gain access to European funds. Due to proximity, European based internationally operating companies are likely to have an advantage. They know the paths of local bureaucracy, are better connected to the donors and are more easily aware of what’s going on. Aid funds aimed at Africa therefore often end up with European companies. The aim of Foundation WE Consult Africa is to bridge this gap to the benefit of Africa based companies, because WE feel this a more efficient way to make progress. Moreover, we are convinced it will also be very well appreciated from the side of the donors to have the opportunity to interact directly with Africa based professionals.

In Europe donors, funds, subsidies, grants, tenders and projects initiated by Dutch or EU organisations that are active in the field of international cooperation will be actively pursued  and contacted. Foundation WE Consult Africa’s Dutch members will be regular visitors to congresses, lectures, seminars and other activities in this field. In Africa, a similar quest for professional organisations and companies that fit the demands of an interesting project will be undertaken by the African members of the WE Group. The foundation will act as an intermediate to connect the two parties involved, in order to make funds available or exchange knowledge. Results could range from direct funding of projects, student exchange, training, work experience programs and all other activities that may contribute to our goal of accelerated development.

Our first projects so far, two successful applications for a grant from the YEP Young Expert Programme Water for an exchange program seems to confirm that we are on the right track! Very soon a Dutch YEP will join the WE Consult office in Maputo to enroll in an Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion (WASH) program. A local expert will be contracted at the same time two interact with the Dutch expert and benefit from training and support under the YEP programme in The Netherlands. At the same time in the Aquaquest office in Lusaka, Zambia both a Dutch and a local YEP expert will be contracted to improve the understanding for the use of groundwater for irrigation from a climate change perspective.

Evert Kaatee
Chairman

Kromme Mijdrechtstraat 53-1
1079 KR Amsterdam
Netherlands

Phone: +31 6 3433 0075
Phone: +256 0 312 265 130

africa@we-consult.info

Key staff Uganda

Arnaud Durand

Managing director uganda

Vincent Byarugaba

technical manager

Ron Sloots

Sr. Hydrogeologist

Jonan Mutebi

Financial manager Uganda

Ronnie Otim

OFFICE MANAGER/LOGISTICS & PROCUREMENT

Marx Nakitto

accountant

Milly Akwi

Project Manager - WASH

Eva Kituyi

project assistant - wash

Medrine Akullo

Hydrogeologist

Edward Ndagije

Hydrogeologist

Key staff Mozambique

Roel Toonen

Technical Manager / Water resources specialist

Zaida Adriano

Technical manager / Wash specialist

Antonio Thembe

Financial Manager

António Francisco Júnior

Hydrogeologist

Bacelar Muneme

WASH specialist

Key staff Zambia (AquaQuest)

Frank Meins

Managing director

Marco van der Plas

Hydrologist

John Kaluba

Hydrogeologist

Cephas Ngazimbi

Hydrogeologist

Andrew Zulu

Office administrator and accountant