• PhD Planning, University of Nairobi (Department of Urban Planning) (2014)
• MA (Planning), University of Nairobi (Department of Urban Planning), 2004
• Bachelor of Arts Social Sciences (Upper Second Class Honours), Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), 1998

Dr. Opiyo is a registered planner, with strong social science research skills particularly use of participatory techniques.  who has worked with UN-Habitat and University of Nairobi. He has over ten years experience in consultancy, research and teaching.

Dr. Opiyo’s research work mainly focuses on urban challenges in developing countries, especially in the realm of safety and livelihoods. His planning work is mainly based on interventions for vulnerable groups (more specifically, slum dwellers, informal sector workers and the urban poor generally), crime-risks and policing including evaluation of community policing. He has also done significant studies in the area of micro-enterprise development with a focus on locational and clustering theory, use and impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and learning processes and innovation systems within the small and micro-scale enterprise sector.