Tapping indigenous engineering knowledge and architecture Published Date: 2026-02-19 00:00:00 Author: By Sally Miruri Source: The Standard
Author: By Sally Miruri
Audio By Vocalize Frederick Ademba, Electromechanical Engineer at Tatu City, and Benard Osoro, Field Service Engineer conduct routine maintenance on the city’s water infrastructure. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard] Across Kenya, and particularly in Luo Nyanza, traditional mud houses are disappearing from the rural landscape. Often dismissed as symbols of poverty, backwardness or underdevelopment, these structures are increasingly being replaced by modern concrete and iron-sheet constructions that are perceived as markers of modernity. This framing, however, misunderstands the nature of indigenous building systems. Luo mud houses are not the product of architectural deficiency or an indicator of poverty, but rather the outcome of generational…