Finding a building in Eldoret has long meant asking for directions, calling ahead or relying on landmarks. The city's administration now wants that to change, putting street-name plates back up and adding QR codes that link streets and buildings to their exact location on a map.

City manager Elzeba Busienei told the Nation that many of Eldoret's streets already had names but their plates had been vandalised over the years. The restored signs are the first batch, she said, and more roads will be named as the city carries out its development plans.

Streets named after athletes and freedom fighters

The new plates carry names including Kipchoge Keino, Jackson Mandago, Ronald Ngala and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, alongside long-standing names such as Oloo Street, Uganda Road and Kenyatta Street.

Moi University historian Prof Jeremiah Oduori told the Nation that naming streets after athletes, environmentalists, freedom fighters and political leaders helps a city record its history and reclaim its identity.

How the QR codes work

Under the digital addressing system, QR codes on street and building plates can be scanned with a mobile phone to give the precise geographical coordinates of a place. When the rollout began in September, Busienei told EldoretLeo that the aim was to give the city "clear and efficient logistical and positioning systems".

The city says the system should help:

  • Boda boda riders, taxi drivers and delivery firms find customers faster
  • Ambulances and fire engines reach emergencies without delay
  • The county identify properties and businesses for planning and revenue collection

Boda boda rider Alexander Tanui, who operates from Oloo Street, told the Nation he no longer has to call customers repeatedly to find their gates. "The roads used to be full of potholes and customers were afraid to sit, but now they ride calmly and I go faster and safer," he said.

An app still to come

Busienei said the county plans to launch an application that brings together navigation, traffic updates, emergency help, e-commerce and public participation. For now the QR plates and the planned app are separate parts of the project, and the app has not yet been released.

The street works began as Eldoret prepared to host this month's Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kipchoge Keino Stadium, together with road repairs, new street lighting, repainting of buildings and tree planting. Some residents have questioned whether the facelift will continue now that the national event is over, but Busienei says the projects were never meant only for the holiday.

Governor Jonathan Bii has also launched a "My City, My Responsibility" clean-up campaign, under which the county plans to put up 100 litter bins and 10 dumpsters and has warned of penalties for illegal dumping.

Public service vehicle operator Dancan Kipkemboi said residents and motorists would need time to get used to the new names. Whether the system works, residents say, will depend on the county replacing vandalised signs and following through on the promised app.

Photos: Nation Media Group; EldoretLeo. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.