Some professions merge the expertise of two or more fields to bring about an integrated craft. Quantity survey is one such discipline, pulling knowledge from construction, financial planning, and law, to create a profession that deals in building project management. Leah Thumbi is not only a certified quantity surveyor, but she is also Kenya’s first registered female quantity surveyor.
Early Life
Having grown up in colonial Kenya, Leah’s parents knew that the surest way for their children succeed was to get a good education. Leah and her siblings all started school at an early age. Since their father was a teacher, he made sure to assist his children with their schoolwork when they needed it. With his support as well as her mother’s, Leah consistently performed well in school, with Math being one of her favourite subjects. It therefore came as no surprise to anyone when she secured a spot at Alliance Girls’ High School after acing her Certificate of Primary Examinations in 1969.
One of the first things that impressed Leah about her new school was the architectural design; the attention to detail in every brick, window, archway and the like. This sparked her curiosity: how much effort went into the construction of these buildings? This question remained firmly rooted in her mind through the years, and stayed with her even when she proceeded to Limuru Girls’ High School for her A levels. In her final examinations, Leah’s performance was stellar, and this gave her the advantage of studying any course of her choice. Once again, she sought guidance from her family – this time her brother – who advised her to focus on her academic strengths. Remembering her interest while at Alliance, and thinking about the path she envisioned ahead of her, Leah chose to study building economics at the University of Nairobi.
The First of Many Firsts
Walking into her class on the first day, Leah immediately noted the elephant in the room: she was the only woman in the class, and later she realised that she was the only female student who had enrolled for the course. The transition from all-girls’ high schools to a majority male class setting where she was the only woman, was unsettling. This new study arrangement took some getting used to, but soon enough she found her stride and fit in with the rest of her peers.
In 1976, during her first year at the university, Leah got married and welcomed her first child. Her second followed not long after. While she was excited about the changes happening on the home front, her new role as a mother also meant that she had to work much harder to keep up in class. A student by day and a mother by night took its toll on her, but her tenacity paid off in 1979, when she became the first woman to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in building economics in Kenya.
A Change in Environment
Immediately after completing her studies, Leah got employed by the Ministry of Works. Being a building economist was every bit as fulfilling as she had hoped, and over time, Leah made a name for herself in this business. In 1984, Leah wanted to scale up in her professional field and sat for professional exams to become a registered quantity surveyor. These exams would prove that she was an expert at project cost planning and control, as well as project development. When her results were announced, she had passed her exams and by doing so had become Kenya’s first female quantity surveyor.
After working as a civil servant for 20 years, Leah decided to challenge herself with a new location where quantity surveying was still an emerging field. Her daring venture led her to move to Botswana, where she worked to establish a quantity surveying section in Gaborone City Council. This created a new line of work in the area, and Leah was more than happy to teach the new crop of quantity surveyors what she knew about the profession. Six years later, she returned to Kenya ready to be her own boss. She founded Lewat Consultants and registered it under The Board of Registration of Architects & Quantity Surveyors.
When asked what her mantra is, Leah responded with a bible quote from Luke 14: 28-30.
Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him saying “This fellow began to build and was no able to finish.”
This scripture affirms to Leah the importance of her work in the construction industry – a field that remains heavily male-dominated to date.
#KeFemaleFirsts
