Eldoret’s construction story centers on rapid urban growth, changing materials, and a larger role for architects in steering sustainability, compliance, and community-responsive design.
Construction in and around Eldoret has moved through distinct phases of urban expansion, infrastructure-led growth, and rising sustainability pressure.
- 2013
- 1 paper: (Wafula & Gichuho, 2013)- 2014
- 2 papers: (Ngetich et al., 2014)- 2020
- 1 paper: (Kiptum et al., 2020)- 2022
- 1 paper: (Zhang et al., 2022)- 2023
- 1 paper: (Walker & Shall, 2023)- 2024
- 1 paper: (Mba et al., 2024)- 2025
- 1 paper: (Stephen & Aigbavboa, 2025)Figure 1: Timeline of Eldoret construction and design trends
The overall arc is clear: Eldoret is growing fast, but planning, materials choice, and professional collaboration have not always kept pace. That puts architects in a pivotal position between development pressure and better urban outcomes.
Urban Growth
Eldoret is a rapidly growing medium-sized Kenyan town, with population projections reaching 584,782 by 2030, which intensifies demand for housing, infrastructure, and development control (Ngetich et al., 2014). Studies of Eldoret Municipality also project more than 20,000 buildings by 2030, with major land coverage expansion and associated environmental pressures (Ngetich et al., 2014).
Residential expansion has been strong for decades. In Kapsoya and Pioneer, residential land increased sharply between 1979 and 1989, and population growth was identified as the leading driver of expansion (Wafula & Gichuho, 2013). Urban growth has also strained infrastructure and environmental systems, with flooding, garbage disposal, and pollution identified as key development-control problems in Eldoret Municipality (Ngetich et al., 2014).
Architects’ Role
Architects in Eldoret increasingly matter not just as building designers, but as early-stage decision-makers shaping materials, space use, and operational impacts (Mba et al., 2024). Evidence from African practice shows architects are expected to create greener, more resilient built environments, but this role is often constrained by capability gaps, regulatory limits, and client preferences (Mba et al., 2024).
Recent sustainability research in sub-Saharan Africa argues that better outcomes depend on structured collaboration between academia and industry, with training programs, pilot projects, and local innovation hubs helping sustainable methods move into practice (Stephen & Aigbavboa, 2025). Community-oriented architectural models also expand the architect’s role beyond design into education, advising, and local upskilling, especially when projects build on traditional knowledge and hands-on participation (Walker & Shall, 2023).
Construction Trends
| Trend | What The Research Shows | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Walling materials | Low-income housing uses bricks, mud, iron sheets, stone blocks, with EPS emerging as a newer affordable option (Kiptum et al., 2020) | Cost still dominates material choice |
| Housing quality demand | Over 80% of respondents were uncomfortable in their homes, and 94.8% were willing to pay more for better conditions (Kiptum et al., 2020) | Demand exists for better design and construction |
| New roofing patterns | Color steel tile roofs expanded faster after road infrastructure improvements, with annual growth rising from 3.47% to 7.29% in Munyaka, Eldoret (Zhang et al., 2022) | Infrastructure appears linked to upgrading building forms |
| Planning and compliance | 38% of approved applicants in Eldoret failed to comply with building regulations (Ngetich et al., 2014) | Design quality depends on enforcement as well as approvals |
| Sustainability shift | Sustainable construction is framed as both an environmental necessity and a long-term economic benefit because green buildings reduce energy use and operating costs (Stephen & Aigbavboa, 2025) | Architects have a stronger case for climate-responsive design |
Figure 2: Key construction trends affecting Eldoret building practice
What This Means
For Eldoret, the most important construction trends are rapid expansion, persistent affordability pressures, infrastructure-linked upgrading, and growing pressure for sustainability and compliance. Architects in Eldoret are therefore not only drawing plans; they are increasingly central to whether the town’s growth becomes more resilient, inclusive, and better regulated.
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References
Kiptum, C., Mwirigi, V. M., & Steve, O. O. (2020). Affordable Walling Materials Used in Low Income Estates of Eldoret, Kisumu and Nakuru Towns in Kenya. 56. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajset.20200502.11
Mba, E. J., Okeke, F. O., Igwe, A. E., Ozigbo, C. A., Oforji, P. I., & Ozigbo, I. W. (2024). Evolving trends and challenges in sustainable architectural design; a practice perspective. Heliyon, 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39400
Ngetich, J., Opata, G., & Mulongo, L. (2014). Urban Environmental Planning and Development Control of Medium Sized Towns in Kenya. A Case of Eldoret Municipality. Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences, 5, 351.
Ngetich, J., Opata, G., & Mulongo, L. (2014). A study on the effectiveness of urban development control instruments and practices in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya. Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences, 5, 83-91.
Stephen, S., & Aigbavboa, C. (2025). Enhancing Academia–Industry Partnerships for Sustainable Building: A Change Framework for Research and Innovation Integration in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17093863
Wafula, E., & Gichuho, C. (2013). The Pattern of Expansion of Urban Residential in Eldoret Municipality , Kenya Munialo.
Walker, E., & Shall, S. (2023). Bricolage Sustainability: Building Understanding Through Indigenous Constructs. Material Economies. https://doi.org/10.35483/acsa.aia.intermaterialeco.23.46
Zhang, W., Liu, G., Ding, L., Du, M., & Yang, S. (2022). Analysis and Research on Temporal and Spatial Variation of Color Steel Tile Roof of Munyaka Region in Kenya, Africa. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214886
