🌍 Reimagining Tomorrow: How Architect Riungu Praise is Building a Sustainable Future for Kenya’s Communities

Discover how architect Riungu Praise is transforming rural Kenya with SIEVE — a sustainable eco-village project combining green architecture, cultural heritage, and community-driven development.

Riungu Praise

In the heart of Kajiado County, Kenya, a visionary project is quietly taking shape — one that dares to reimagine what sustainability can look like when rooted in local culture, community participation, and ecological mindfulness. At the helm of this groundbreaking initiative is Riungu Praise, a Kenyan architect whose passion for climate action and sustainable development has found a home in the form of a transformative pilot project: the Social Innovation Eco-Village Enduata (SIEVE).

From Classrooms to Communities

Praise’s journey began in architecture school, where early exposure to sustainability principles sparked a deeper calling — not just to design buildings, but to reshape the world around him. “We were trained to think sustainably,” he shares. “But for me, it became more than theory. It became a commitment to ensure that we hand over a healthy planet to future generations — from whom we’ve merely borrowed it.”

That commitment deepened when he saw the stark contrast between last-mile communities and the developed world. This disparity ignited his desire to use his skills to bridge the gap — not with charity, but with empowerment, innovation, and co-created solutions.

The Vision: A Fortress for the Future

SIEVE is not just an architectural feat — it's a blueprint for how communities can thrive in harmony with nature. Developed in collaboration with EMPSERVE KENYA, the eco-village spans 10 acres and is designed to function as a living model of sustainability, with zones carefully mapped to reflect a wide range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Each zone tells a story.

The Economic Zone pulses with potential through a village market and digital shop. The Learning, Research & Innovation Zone fosters curiosity and creativity with ICT labs, workshops, and maker spaces. Agriculture is redefined in the Demo Farms and Greenhouses, ensuring food sovereignty and sustainable practices.

Then there’s the Heritage Zone, a deeply symbolic section featuring traditional Maasai Manyattas and a communal firepit — grounding the future in the wisdom of the past. Conservation and recreation go hand in hand, with a mini-dam, indigenous species restoration, and even an Africa-shaped garden featuring a zipline and swimming pool.

What powers all this? Solar energy. What sustains it? A borehole, community-grown food, and building materials like rammed earth, recycled steel, bamboo, and thatch — all locally sourced and assembled by the community itself.

The Bigger Dream

“For me, it’s about more than just one village,” Praise explains. “My professional goal is to create replicable, self-sustaining eco-villages that can transform entire communities across Africa and beyond. This isn’t a vanity project — it’s a fortress for resilience, innovation, and dignity.”

The goal is to develop a template that others can follow — merging grassroots knowledge with architectural innovation to birth a new standard of development that’s inclusive, resilient, and ecologically sound.

The Roadblocks: Funding the Future

But big dreams often come with big challenges, and for SIEVE, the most pressing one is funding. While EMPSERVE KENYA has worked tirelessly to mobilize resources, securing capital for the major structures remains a persistent struggle.

Praise remains undeterred. “We’ve made tremendous progress thanks to community support and in-kind contributions. But to fully realize this vision, we need partners who believe in a better way forward — who see that investing in sustainability is investing in life itself.”

Join the Movement

The masterplan for SIEVE was officially launched, with an emotional response online from those who’ve seen the vision unfold. You can view a sneak peek of it here.

Whether you’re a funder, volunteer, academic, builder, or just someone who believes in human potential, there’s space in this story for you. Because in the hands of architects like Riungu Praise, sustainability is no longer a distant ideal — it’s a village under construction.