About Gemrigs
Two engineering practices,
one water-infrastructure firm.
A Kenyan water infrastructure and civil engineering firm delivering scientifically-sited boreholes, sustainable pumping systems, and durable storage across East Africa.
Origin
A Unified Vision for Water Engineering
Gemrigs is the operating brand of Gem Rigs Ltd, established as a fully integrated engineering practice by uniting two long-standing East African specialists — one in borehole drilling and hydrogeology, the other in civil works and plumbing. By bringing these core disciplines under one roof, we created a single, streamlined firm capable of taking any water project from initial survey to final commission without ever relying on subcontractors.
Our foundation is built on a rich legacy of specialized borehole expertise, high-precision drilling machinery, and robust civil construction management. We have navigated Kenya's most challenging geological terrains, from the hard basaltic rock of the Rift Valley to the unconsolidated alluvial deposits of the Lake Basin. Today, our collective portfolio exceeds 1,500 successfully executed projects across all 47 counties.
The Gemrigs Advantage: In practice, our integrated structure means the geologist who sites your well also sees the casing schedule through the WRA permit, and the engineer who designs your storage tank signs off on the reticulation tested in the ground. One technical contract; one accountable team.
Four ethical pillars.
- 01
Professionalism
Engineering rigor on every project, irrespective of scale.
- 02
Integrity
Transparent quotations, honest yields, no hidden costs.
- 03
Honesty
Empirical data drives every recommendation we make.
- 04
Fairness
Equitable terms with suppliers, subcontractors, and clients.
Our team
Engineering, led from the front.
The Gemrigs engineering team spans WRA-licensed geologists, NCA-registered site managers, EPRA-certified solar engineers and construction supervisors — all operating under a single accountable technical contract.
Every project is overseen from initial survey to final handover by the same technical staff who signed the permits. No hand-offs between project phases; no accountability gaps between disciplines. The geologist who produces the siting report also reviews the casing schedule. The engineer who designs the storage tank also signs off the reticulation pressure test.
Our standard: no site recommendation without a stamped hydrogeological survey. No borehole handover without 24-hour pump test results validated against safe-yield targets. That discipline is what our 98% borehole strike rate reflects in practice.
Strategic alignment
Vision 2030 —
the Social Pillar.
Universal access to clean and reliable water — contributing to the national goal of 100% safe water coverage by 2030. Our work supports that goal directly — siting, equipping, storing and reticulating water for households, farms, communities and industrial sites across Kenya's 47 counties.
The shift toward solar-powered pumping aligns with the Energy Act 2019 and the 2025 Solar Water Heating Regulations: clean abstraction, lower operating costs, and resilience independent of the grid. Every solar system we commission is sized at 30% above motor wattage to account for system losses and varying irradiance across Kenya's climate zones.
Scientific foundation
Empirical data drives every recommendation.
Before any rig moves, we run comprehensive geophysical surveys using Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES), resistivity mapping and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT). These methods identify aquifer depth, thickness and yield with precision — eliminating the guesswork that produces dry boreholes.
The resulting siting report, stamped by a WRA-licensed geologist, is the foundation document for every drilling permit application. The same empirical rigour carries through pump testing, water quality screening, and structural design of storage infrastructure to Eurocode 2 and BS 8007 standards.
How surveys workTalk to engineering, not sales.
Bring us a brief — even a rough one — and we'll come back with what's possible at your site.