Paul’s Bakery: The Story of Eldoret’s Sweetest Legacy

By William Kiptoo

Paul’s Bakery and Confectionery, Eldoret.

If you have ever been to Eldoret and craved fresh bread, chances are you know Paul’s Bakery. If you have tasted a loaf from this bakery, or one of its famous cookies, you are already part of its story. This is where it began.

From Kiambu to Eldoret

In 1965 a young Paul Kamau arrived in Eldoret from Kiambu with his family. They were among many who moved to the Rift Valley after independence in search of new opportunities. Paul’s father, a military veteran, brought with him the discipline of the barracks and hopes that his children would do well in their new town.

Looking for a livelihood, Paul found work as an apprentice to a Goan businessman, also named Paul, who owned a modest bakery in Eldoret. The shared name would prove fateful. As Kamau kneaded dough, stacked loaves and learned the business, a passion for baking grew in him.

When the Goan Paul decided to sell the business in 1977, Kamau took the chance. He turned that small bakery into Paul’s Bakery, the business Eldoret knows today.

Ovens at Home, Vans on the Road

At first the bakery ran from Paul’s own house, where he had turned part of his living space into an oven lined kitchen. The smell of fresh bread soon drew in the neighbours, and word spread through Eldoret. To reach more customers, Kamau bought delivery vans, moving from Combi vehicles to Nissan Urvans. The vans became a familiar sight across the North Rift, carrying bread to schools, shops and homes.

By the 1980s Paul’s Bakery had built a reputation for consistency and quality. Kamau insisted on good ingredients, and it showed. His attention to detail made the bakery a professional business that stood above its competitors, including the once strong Eliot’s Bakery. When Eliot’s closed in the 1990s, Paul’s became the leading bakery in Eldoret and beyond.

The Cookie Man

Of all the treats at Paul’s, none was more loved than the “Paul’s Cookie Man,” a favourite of schoolchildren and adults alike. The bakery also sold chocolate chip cookies, cakes and cupcakes, but the Cookie Man was the one that brought smiles across town.

For many students, the arrival of a Paul’s Bakery van at school was a moment of pure excitement. The sound of the van pulling into the schoolyard sent students racing to the canteen for a fresh slice of bread.

The Opera Building Shop

In downtown Eldoret, near the Municipal Council Market, the bakery had a shop at the Opera Building. It was busiest at lunchtime, when a line of locals, fondly called “hustlers,” waited for Nusu Mkate (half a loaf) and a cold soda. For many, this simple meal was a moment of rest in a hard day, and the shop became part of the daily rhythm of the town.

The Next Generation

When Paul Kamau passed away, his sons took over the family business. They kept the standards their father had set and opened branches in Naivasha and Nairobi, carrying his bread far beyond the North Rift. Paul Kamau was honoured posthumously by President William Ruto for his contribution to the development of Eldoret.

Today the bakery still works where it all began, within the walls of the family’s original home, now full of ovens, dough mixers and bakers. Whether it is the crunch of a Cookie Man or a soft, warm loaf, Paul’s Bakery still offers Eldoret a taste of its own history.