Community participation in upgrading of informal settlements in Nairobi City: selected case studies Kibera, Mathare 4A and Kambi ya Moto slums

Abstract

Informal settlements house a large proportion of the country's population, which is often poor, underprivileged and restless. These settlements are in many cases devoid of decent shelter and basic infrastructure, which results in terrible living conditions with its concomitant health implications to the poor inhabitants. The purpose of this study was to establish the extent, magnitude and effects of community participation in the upgrading of informal settlements in Nairobi city. It explored the perceptions of the slum residents and community based organizations who facilitated community participation in slum upgrading projects. Views of different scholars who had carried out studies relating community participation in the upgrading of informal settlements were discussed in the literature review. To better explore the extent of community participation in informal settlements upgrading projects, the researcher selected three slums; Kibera, Mathare 4A and Kambi ya Moto, two of which intensive upgrading projects have been carried out and one that is currently undergoing the upgrading process. Also representatives of two community based organizations were interviewed. Views from the slum residents were collected by the use of questionnaires administered by a research assistant team hired to collect data. The research team had previously been trained on what data to collect and how to efficiently and effectively correct it. The reason for this was because some of the residents could not read and also most development terms used in the questionnaire have different meanings to different people. Most of the residents needed the questions to be translated to Kiswahili in order to understand and answer the questionnaire. The researcher carried out personal interviews with the community based organizations in the research. Other method included observation to supplement the questionnaire and in depth interviews for further probing where the need arose. The researcher established that there was need for slum upgrading in Kibera, Mathare 4A and Kambi ya Moto slums mostly in form of housing and infrastructure. The residents felt that drainage and lack of toilets was the major problems that needed to be solved. To access most of the basic amenities, the residents have to pay for them. Most of the slum residents knew of the existence of slum upgrading proj ects and programmes. Even so very few were involved in the projects. There was a remarkable difference in what the residents thought were the community based organizations and what the researcher meant by the same. The research team had to carefully explain to the slum residents what a community based organization is. Most of them believed it to be micro finance institutions and merry go round groups whose main objective was to help the residents save therefore only those residents who could afford to save could join them. Thus they cited lack of finance as reasons of not joining the CBOs. Another reason was lack of information. Probing questions showed the willingness of the residents to participate in the upgrading of their informal settlements. The CBOs felt that the community participation was low mostly because of the dependence syndrome which the residents had thus expected to be done for everything. All the same, the researcher was able to establish that there was much community participation in Kambi ya Moto slum than Kibera and Mathare 4A slums. This was complimented by Kambi ya Moto slum having less infrastructure problems than Kibera and Mathare 4A slums. Community members need to be involved in any decision making, planning and implementation process in the slum upgrading projects and programmes. It is only through their involvement that the desired results can be achieved.