There are many slums in Kenya, for example in the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa. According to UN DESA (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs), 55 per cent of Kenya's urban population were slum inhabitants in 2007. [1] In 2019, around two million inhabitants of Nairobi lived in informal settlements. [2]
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nairobi, which translates to 'place of cool waters', a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper had a population of 4,397,073 in the 2019 census. The city is commonly referred to as The Green City in the Sun.
A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inhabited by impoverished people. Although slums are usually located in urban areas, in some countries they can be located in suburban areas where housing quality is low and living conditions are poor. While slums differ in size and other characteristics, most lack reliable sanitation services, supply of clean water, reliable electricity, law enforcement, and other basic services. Slum residences vary from shanty houses to professionally built dwellings which, because of poor-quality construction or lack of basic maintenance, have deteriorated.
Kibera is a division and neighbourhood of Nairobi, Kenya, 6.6 kilometres (4.1 mi) from the city centre. Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the largest urban slum in Africa. The 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census reports Kibera's population as 170,070, contrary to previous estimates of one or two million people. Other sources suggest the total Kibera population may be 500,000 to well over 1,000,000 depending on which slums are included in defining Kibera.
Mathare is a collection of slums in Nairobi with a population of approximately 500,000 people; the population of Mathare Valley alone, the oldest of the slums that make up Mathare, is 180,000 people. Mathare is the home of football teams Mathare United and Real Mathare of the MYSA. Mathare is currently part of two electoral constituencies; the titular Mathare Constituency and the northern part being in Ruaraka Constituency. The northern part was initially part of Kasarani Constituency up to the 2013 elections when Kasarani was split into three electoral constituencies; Ruaraka being among them. The southern part was domiciled in Starehe Constituency.
Mathare Valley is a part of Mathare slum in Kenya. It is in the Nairobi area. Other informal settlements in the Nairobi area include Huruma, Kiambiu, Korogocho, Mukuru and Kibera. It has a high population density. It is a few kilometers from the centre of Nairobi. The Mathare River flows in the valley.
Kiambiu is a slum in Nairobi, Kenya with 40–50,000 residents. Kiambiu is 4 kilometers east of the center of Nairobi. Its name comes from the Swahili word "mbiu-mbiu", which translates as "to be on the run".
Korogocho is one of the largest slum neighbourhoods of Nairobi, Kenya. Home to 150,000 to 200,000 people pressed into 1.5 square kilometres, northeast of the city centre, Korogocho was founded as a shanty town on the then outskirts of the city.
Mukuru Kwa Njenga is a slum in the Mukuru slums of Nairobi. Mukuru kwa Njenga is among other villages in Mukuru namely; Mukuru kwa Reuben, Mukuru kwa Njenga, Sinai, Paradise, Jamaica, Kingstone, Mariguini, Fuata Nyayo and Kayaba. The population exceeds 100,000.
Kawangware is a low income residential area in Nairobi, Kenya, about 15 km west of the city centre, between Lavington and Dagoretti.
Kisumu Ndogo is a name given to "villages" that are part of two informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, Kibera and Korogocho. Kisumu Ndogo means little Kisumu. Most dwellers of these villages are believed to be of low income. Nowadays, there are many villages across the country called Kisumu Ndogo. for example, there are in fact two Kisumu Ndogo villages in Kilifi county alone, one in Malindi sub county and one in Kilifi North sub county. There is also one in Mombasa and Nakuru Counties.
Majengo is a slum in the Pumwani area of Nairobi. In 2019, it had a population of 17,645, and a population density of 51,692/km2. It is approximately 3km from Nairobi central business district, and next to Gikomba Market. Majengo forms part of Pumwani ward; which is in the larger Kamukunji sub-county of Nairobi City County. Majengo also hosts the headquarters for Kamukunji Constituency.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Nairobi, Kenya.
Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) is a grassroots movement based in Nairobi, Kenya in urban slums providing services, community advocacy platforms, and education and leadership development for women and girls. SHOFCO serves more than 350,000 urban slum dwellers in 10 slums across three cities in Kenya.
Mukuru is a collection of slums in the city of Nairobi. It is approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of the central business district of Nairobi. It is one of the largest slums in Nairobi. It stretches along the Nairobi–Ngong River, situated on waste lands in the industrial area of the city between the Outering Ring Road, North Airport Road and Mombasa Road. Mukuru is among other major slums in Nairobi such: Korogocho, Kibera and Mathare.
Viwandani is an informal settlement in the city of Nairobi, Kenya. It is an electoral ward within the Makadara Constituency of Nairobi County. It borders on the Nairobi Industrial Area. The name "Viwandani" means "at the industrial zone" in Kiswahili. There are thirteen "villages" within the settlement: Jamaica, Kingstone, Lunga Lunga Centre, Lunga Lunga Donholm, Milimani, Paradise A, B, and C, Riverside, Sinai, Sinali Reli, Tetrapak, and Uchumi.
During the colonial occupation of Kenya, Black Africans working on farms owned by white settlers were called "squatters" by the British. As of 1945, there were over 200,000 such squatters in the Highlands and more than half were Kikuyu. The Mau Mau rebellion began amongst these squatters in the late 1940s and after independence in the early 1960s, peasants started squatting land in rural areas without the permission of the owner.
Kayole is a low-income neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi. Located within the larger Eastlands area of Nairobi, it is approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) east of the central business district.
Shauri Moyo is a low-income neighbourhood in Pumwani in the city of Nairobi. It is approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) southeast of the central business district of Nairobi. It is one of the oldest estates in Nairobi.
Nyayo Highrise is a residential neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi. It is approximately 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) southwest of the central business district of Nairobi. Initially a slum upgrading project, the estate was built in an effort by the national government to provide its citizens with affordable housing.
