Across the region, momentum behind sustainable development, climate resilience and low-carbon infrastructure continues to accelerate. Governments, developers and businesses are increasingly recognising that the built environment has a critical role to play in addressing climate change while creating healthier, more efficient spaces for people to live and work. Kenya’s recent launch of the National Buildings & Construction Decarbonisation Roadmap (2026–2040) is one example of this commitment, setting an ambitious course to reduce emissions from a sector that currently contributes roughly a third of the country’s carbon footprint.

At Solid Green East Africa, we’re excited to contribute to this transformation by helping clients deliver resource-efficient, high-performing buildings that create lasting value for owners, occupants and surrounding communities. Guided by Solid Green’s vision of transforming the built environment into one that is regenerative and resilient, we’re proud to bring world-class sustainability expertise to projects across the region.

Delivering Practical Sustainability Solutions

One of the things that makes working in sustainability so rewarding is that no two projects are ever the same. Every building has its own story, every client presents a unique challenge, and every project provides an opportunity to create practical solutions that have a lasting environmental and social impact.

From our Nairobi office, our team supports projects across multiple sectors, including affordable housing, commercial developments, healthcare facilities and industrial projects. On any given day we may be assisting a client pursuing IFC EDGE certification for a residential development, reviewing LEED documentation for a commercial fit-out, or developing Green Star and Net Zero strategies for projects throughout East Africa. The diversity of our work constantly challenges us to learn, adapt and innovate while delivering sustainability solutions tailored to the unique needs of the region.

Our work goes far beyond achieving certification. Behind every sustainability strategy, carbon assessment and green building framework is a commitment to delivering measurable outcomes that improve building performance, reduce resource consumption and create healthier environments for those who use them every day.

The People Behind the Projects

While technical expertise is central to what we do, our greatest strength is our people.

Our Kenya office brings together engineers, project managers and sustainability specialists with experience spanning mechanical engineering, building systems design and green building advisory across EDGE, LEED and Green Star certifications. We combine technical excellence with practical thinking, helping clients turn ambitious sustainability goals into achievable outcomes.

John Mulatya

The office is led by John Mulatya, whose experience in developing and implementing sustainability strategies across healthcare, housing, commercial and industrial developments throughout Africa has helped shape the team’s practical, impact-driven approach to sustainability. Under his leadership, our focus remains on delivering solutions that create tangible value for building owners, occupants and surrounding communities.

Sidney Njau

Sidney Njau is a Mechanical Engineer who brings equal parts rigor and energy to sustainability. He turns EDGE, LEED, and Green Star targets into real-world, resource-efficient outcomes across industrial, housing, and healthcare developments.

Guided by a systems mindset, Sidney measures success through performance that delivers for occupants, investors, and communities alike. Beyond work, he hosts a podcast dedicated to demystifying environmental strategy, driven by a core conviction that game-changing sustainability thinking shouldn’t stay trapped inside consultants’ reports.

Vanessa Mbithe

Vanessa Mbithe is a Sustainability Consultant who believes every project is an opportunity to create buildings that are better for people and the planet. She works across EDGE, LEED and Green Star certifications, partnering with project teams to turn sustainability goals into practical, achievable outcomes while navigating the technical complexities of green building certification.

Curious by nature and driven by continuous learning, Vanessa enjoys working alongside clients and colleagues to solve challenges, share knowledge and celebrate progress together. She believes the best sustainability solutions come from collaboration, thoughtful conversations and a genuine commitment to creating lasting impact. As the green building movement continues to grow across East Africa, she’s excited to play a part in shaping a more resilient and resource-efficient built environment.

Life at Solid Green Kenya

What makes Solid Green Kenya truly special is our culture.

Although we’re a growing team, collaboration sits at the heart of everything we do. Technical discussions are part of our daily routine, with colleagues openly sharing ideas, challenging one another to think differently and supporting each other through every stage of a project. Whether we’re solving a complex technical challenge, preparing for a client workshop or simply catching up over a cup of coffee, there’s a genuine sense of teamwork that makes coming to work enjoyable.

Being part of the wider Solid Green family has also created incredible opportunities to learn from colleagues with deep expertise across multiple sustainability disciplines. This culture of knowledge sharing has accelerated our professional growth while strengthening our ability to deliver practical, high-quality sustainability solutions throughout East Africa.

It’s this combination of collaboration, curiosity and continuous learning that allows us to confidently take on increasingly complex projects while remaining grounded in the values that define who we are.

Looking Ahead

As our presence across East Africa continues to grow, so does our ambition.

We’re excited to contribute to projects that improve building performance, reduce environmental impact and create healthier spaces for the people who use them. At the same time, we’re building a workplace that values curiosity, collaboration and continuous learning, ensuring that our team continues to evolve alongside the rapidly changing sustainability landscape.

For us, sustainability is about far more than certifications or technical compliance. It’s about helping our clients make informed decisions, building trusted relationships and creating buildings that leave a positive legacy for future generations.

As we begin this exciting new chapter, we’re proud of what we’re building together at Solid Green East Africa and even more excited about the journey ahead.

The post A New Chapter: Solid Green East Africa appeared first on Solid Green Consulting.

The new SABIS® International School – Runda is conveniently located near the Northern Bypass in Kiambu County, Kenya.

Facilities include an independent kindergarten area, upper and lower school buildings, cafeteria, gymnasium, pool, football pitch, tennis courts, mini car track, and an auditorium. As the first Green Star certified school in Kenya, the aim was to positively impact the project’s design and construction costs, asset value, operating costs, workplace productivity and user health.

With a GFA of almost 14,600 sqm, the school is conveniently located near the Northern Bypass in Kiambu County. The project was developed by the SABIS® Network, a global network of schools that dates back to 1886 and currently educates over 70,000 students in 20 countries on 5 continents. Concept design architects on the project were Archika, with Boogertman + Partners as executive architects. The green building AP (accredited professional) team comprised WEB Limited, a Kenyan based sustainable development consultancy and co-founding member of the Kenya Green Building Society, in collaboration with Solid Green Consulting.

The site was chosen to meet growing demand for a new school in an area that has become densely urbanised in the last decade.

Urban & Climatic Context

Elizabeth Wangeci Chege of WEB Limited explains that the site was chosen to meet growing demand for a new school in an area that has become densely urbanised in the last 10 years. Being very close to the Equator with no extremes in weather, conditions lent themselves to passive design; the soil is conducive to plant growth and biodiversity; and there is an abundance of rain for harvesting.

The SABIS® Network has developed schools in different regions in the Middle East and South America, and the concept design had to be contextualised, acclimatised and aligned with local expectations. For example, following the attack on the Garissa University College in April 2015, a top priority was security which necessitated a boundary wall and physical barriers between the buildings.

“Safety on site is also paramount,” comments Anthony Opil, project architect at Boogertman + Partners.

The site is on a steep slope so the buildings were staggered and connected with soft, landscaped ramps – working with the terrain to make the buildings easily accessible to one to another and for the mobility impaired. Courtyards were also designed for different age groups with specific play areas for the lower school and high school – which was an approach that was customized to local expectations.

The school is bound by two roads to the north and south respectively, with the northern road being a busy highway. SABIS® had to provide a budget and infrastructure to access the southern road, which is much lower and further away from the school. The original design was mirrored in order to avoid traffic and highway noise; and cyclist facilities and school bus facilities were provided.

he buildings are connected by soft landscaped ramps to make them easily accessible.

A Tailored Response

Another key consideration was resource efficiency. While there is a greater reliance on mechanical ventilation and heating in other countries, in Kenya, with its high energy costs and a consistent climate, a more appropriate response was developed.

The classroom blocks were oriented north/south with openings, particularly in the study areas, that do not face east or west. Heat gain from outside surfaces was limited by merging soft and hard landscaping and, in the site planning, by ensuring that paved spaces do not bounce heat back into the internal spaces. Air pollution was also mitigated by ensuring that the school bus parking areas, which are planted with young trees, are oriented to prevent exhaust fumes from entering the buildings.

Locally available materials and technologies were specified where possible, such as concrete hollow blocks and roof insulation to improve thermal massing. This was a departure from the typical local construction practice of using natural stone because, says Opil, the hollow blocks were more climatically appropriate, enabled costs to be reduced, and were readily available thus circumventing supply issues relating to stone.

Natural lighting and ventilation were modelled and optimised by increasing the height of the windows specified in the original design. Together with the selection and procurement of low-VOC finishes – such as paints, adhesives and sealants – to ensure that the children are not exposed to toxins, this ensured a significant improvement in the school’s Indoor Environmental Quality. Elizabeth Chege explains that, although the AP team did not conduct embodied energy calculations for materials, this strategy was used to govern the specification of materials; and workshops were held with both the client and contractor to ensure that targets were met.

Solar water heaters were installed to reduce energy consumption, and a modular solar PV system was designed for optional adoption – with the aim of providing panels for classrooms in the next phase of the development, to cut back on consumption and reduce operational costs.

Electricity and water sub-metering was provided for each block with smart meters connected to the BMS to monitor and manage consumption, and to offer a learning resource for the school children and their carers. The school was also the first in Kenya to install 100% LED lights in all spaces, thus gaining an additional Green Star Innovation point.

Play areas were provided for different age groups.

Targeting Net Zero Water

Boniface Chege, also of WEB Limited, says that the project is performing so well in terms of water consumption that the team will consider targeting a Net Zero Water certification which, if successful, will be the first in the region. “We had to consider how children behave and how they like to play with water,” he says. “We reduced consumption by specifying low-flush toilets and low-flow taps with sensors.

Potable water consumption for landscape irrigation has been reduced by 100% using a rainwater harvesting system and recycled black water system. This is backed up by a borehole with variable speed drive (VSD) pumps and municipal water as a last resort. For the Green Star rating, we achieved 99,9% of the available water credits just by using context-appropriate systems like efficient fittings and a blackwater treatment plant – thus contributing to the long-term resilience of the school.

Elizabeth Chege adds, “To treat the sewage emanating from the facility, a membrane bio reactor (MBR) – a process of membrane-based technology – was provided. In this process, the excess sludge does not require separate digestion and the quantity of sludge generated is minimal. This avoids the cumbersome sludge disposal exercise which needs more manual labour and land area. The treated water from the system is disposed of into an overhead tank to flush toilets by gravity. The supplier and installer of the system was also appointed to maintain the system during operations.

“A workshop is being planned with the school’s operational team to ensure a smooth transition from design to operations by sharing information; and consumption data is already being reviewed. The team will also implement an occupancy survey plan to ensure ongoing comfort and usability for users.”

Natural lighting and ventilation were optimised by increasing the height of the windows.

A precedent in Waste Management

Construction waste is currently a topical discussion in Kenya and this project has become a case study for the National Construction Authority, for other contractors to adopt. The reason, says Elizabeth Chege, is that the tender and preliminary documentation was very clear, so the contractor was informed at the outset of the required standards. The contractor therefore appointed a local waste consultant to ensure that the waste was recycled and reused, and 96% of the construction waste was tracked, weighed and diverted from landfill.

In terms of operational waste, spaces were provided on site for separation of waste; and recycling bins were clearly labelled for use by the school children and staff. Paper and cardboard, plastic, metal and cans, glass bottles, and food waste are all separated during operations. The appointed waste collection company was awarded a contract on the basis that they collect the separated waste in trucks that maintain separation, and they have an extensive sorting site that employs women and youth.

Facilities include an independent kindergarten area, upper and lower school buildings, cafeteria, gymnasium, sports facilities, and an auditorium.

A benchmark for East Africa

“The growth and development of school infrastructure has a large impact on our natural environment and communities,” shared Austin Opiyo, SABIS® International School – Runda Facilities Manager.

The design, construction, and operation of the buildings in which we work are responsible for the consumption of many of our natural resources. We are glad that SABIS® Runda is a leading example of a green school and has gone ahead to be a corporate leader in sustainability initiatives.

“Research has shown that certain green building factors positively influence learners’ performance at school,” notes Chilufya Lombe, director at Solid Green. “SABIS® Runda is the first school in the SABIS® Network to be completed and undergo certification in Africa, with more planned in future. With this project we have shown that schools, where our children spend most of their time away from home, can be green too. We hope that other learning institutions in Africa will also adopt green building certification and become part of the call to climate action.”

“This certification sets an example for the rest of the region,” says Elizabeth Chege.

We were thrilled to be part of the process of opening up the Green Star Africa PEB tool for countries outside South Africa. The client was dedicated to achieving this aim and the professional team and main contractor were completely open minded about the process, enabling us to efficiently meet the required credits.

In both its realisation and certification process, SABIS® International School – Runda has successfully set a new benchmark for schools and the green building sector in East Africa.

This article has also appeared on e-architect.

Professional Team

OWNER: Africa Crest Education Holdings
CONCEPT DESIGN ARCHITECTS: ARCHIKA Kamal Homsi Architects SAL
EXECUTIVE ARCHITECTS: Boogertman + Partners
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING CONSULTANTS: WEB Limited / Solid Green Consulting
QUANTITY SURVEYORS: Cost Plan Quantity Surveyors
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS: Gath Consulting Engineers
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: Maiteri & Associates
FIRE ENGINEER & MECHANICAL ENGINEER: Maiteri & Associates
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Greenersol Landscape Limited
WET SERVICES: Maiteri & Associates
MAIN CONTRACTOR: Seyani Brothers & Co. (K) LTD
DEVELOPMENT & PROJECT MANAGER: Athena Properties Limited

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