Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya is the second largest slum in Africa, the largest being Soweto in South Africa, and has a population of perhaps one million. The name “Kibera” is derived from kibra, a Nubian word meaning “forest” or “jungle.”
History
The slum originated in 1918 as a Nubian soldiers’ settlement in a forest outside Nairobi, with plots allotted to soldiers as a reward for service in the First World War and earlier wars.
The British colonial government of the time allowed the settlement to grow informally, primarily because of the Nubians’ status as former servants of the British crown that put the colonial regime in depth. Furthermore the Nubians, being “Detribalized Natives” had no claim on Land in “Native Reserves”. (Parson, Timothy (1997))
After Kenyan independence in 1963, however, various forms of housing were made illegal by the government, rendering Kibera unauthorised on the basis of land tenure. Essentially, since the early 1970s landlords have rented out their property to a significantly greater number of tenants than legality permits. Since the tenants, who are extremely poor, are unable to obtain or rent land that is “legal” according to the Kenyan government, the slum-dwellers find the rates offered to be comparatively affordable. The number of residents in Kibera has increased accordingly despite its unauthorised nature.
This process has been exacerbated because, over time, other tribes have moved into the area to rent land from the Nubian landlords. Since then, the Kikuyu have come to predominate the population and by 1974 had effectively gained control over administrative positions. This demographic change subsequently determined which of the dwellings, all of which are technically illegal, are demolished or permitted by the government. This occurs primarily through political patronage, as certain owners are protected by local government officers largely based on their Kikuyu ethnicity, and changes in administrative personnel may have drastic impacts on a landlord’s security.
Kibera has residents coming from all the major ethnic backgrounds with some areas being specifically dominated by one tribe (eg. Kisumu Ndogo that is predominantly Luo). Many are coming from rural areas due to the problems of rural underdevelopment. This multi-ethnic nature coupled with the tribalism of Kenyan politics has led Kibera to be the site of small ethnic conflicts throughout its near 100 year history (most recently in 2002 in which many resident’s homes were attacked by arson).
Slum Upgrading
Kibera is one of the most studied slums in Africa, not only because it sits in the centre of the modern city, but also because UN-HABITAT, the United Nations agency for human settlements, is headquartered close by. Ban Ki-moon visited the settlement within a month of his selection as UN secretary-general.
Kibera being one of the most pronounced slums within Kenya is undergoing intensive Slum Upgrading process. The government, UN-HABITAT and a contingent of NGOs notably Maji na Ufanisi are making inroads into the settlements in an attempt to face lift the housing and sanitary conditions.
There are three significant complicating factors to construction or upgrade within Kibera. The first is the rate of petty and serious crime. Building materials cannot be left unattended at any time because there is very high chance of them being stolen. It is not uncommon for owners of storm damaged dwellings to have to camp on top of the remnants of their homes until repairs can be made in order to protect the raw materials from would be thieves.
The second is the lack of building foundations. The ground in much of Kibera is literally composed of refuse and rubbish. Dwellings are often constructed atop this unstable ground and therefore many structures collapse whenever the slum experiences flooding, which it does regularly. This means that even well constructed buildings are often damaged by the collapse of nearby poorly constructed ones.
The third complicating factor is the unyielding topography and cramped sprawl of the area. Few houses have vehicle access and many are at the bottom of steep inclines (which heightens the flooding risk). This means that any construction efforts are made more difficult and costly by the fact that all materials must be brought in by hand.
Geography and culture
Kibera is located southwest of Nairobi city centre and is equal to about 75% of the area of Manhattan’s Central Park (approximately 2.5 square kilometres, 256 hectares, or 630 acres). Nairobi Dam is to the south. It is sited approximately 5 km south east of the city centre of Nairobi. It holds more than a quarter of Nairobi’s population. The estimated population density is 300,000/km².There are a number of villages, including Kianda, Soweto, Gatwekera, Kisumu Ndogo, Lindi, Laini Saba, Siranga/Undugu, Makina and Mashimoni. Its population is put at anything between 600,000 and 1.2 million.
A railway line passes through Kibera, thus passengers heading for Kisumu can view the slum. Kibera has a railway station, but due to absence of effective commuter train system in Nairobi, most Kibera residents use buses and Matatus to reach city centre. However, riding the Matatus proves to be considerably dangerous, due to the occasional carjacking that goes on in Nairobi especially in the evenings and at the end of the month. Irresponsible driving in the area and poor traffic law enforcement also makes travel perilous.
Kibera is heavily polluted by soot, dust, and other wastes. Open sewage routes, in addition to the common use of Flying toilets, also contribute to contamination of the slum with human and animal faeces. The combination of poor nutrition and lack of sanitation accounts for many illnesses. Not only are death by disease and conflict common inside this slum, but it is estimated that 1/5 of the 2.2 million Kenyans living with HIV live in Kibera.
