Factors influencing occupancy level of houses in slum upgrading projects: a case of Kibra Soweto-East in Nairobi county, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the factors influencing occupancy level of houses in slum upgrading projects; a case of Kibra Soweto-East in Nairobi County. Urbanization plays a major role in the development of slums and informal settlements which has become a major problem in Kenya. In an effort to improve the livelihood of slum dwellers, the Government of Kenya initiated the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP) in 2001. By 2003 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Government of Kenya and UN-Habitat outlining a strategy for project implementation by KENSUP whose mandate is to improve the livelihood of 5.3 million slum dwellers in Kenya by 2020. The study was guided by the following objectives: To establish how affordability influences occupancy level of houses in slum upgrading projects; To ascertain how social networks influences occupancy level of houses in slum upgrading projects; To determine how stakeholders involvement influences occupancy level of houses in slum upgrading projects and to determine how UN Habitat housing standards influences occupancy level of houses in slum upgrading projects. The descriptive survey design was used for the study. The research instruments used were a questionnaire for occupants of the Kibra Soweto-East upgraded houses and an interview guide for KENSUP project officials. Quantitative data collected was analyzed by descriptive statistics while content analysis techniques were used to analyze qualitative data. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to describe the data. The analyzed data was then presented in form of tables. From the findings, 78% of the respondents agreed to a very high extent that affordability influences occupancy level of slum upgraded houses. In terms of social networks, 63% strongly agreed that it does influence occupancy level of houses in slum upgrading projects. In investigating the influence of stakeholder’s involvement on occupancy level of houses, it was established that 63% were influenced by level of involvement. In assessing the influence of UNHabitat standards on occupancy level of the upgraded houses, it was established that it influences the respondents with 64% indicating that it would to a very high extent. In conclusion, the study found that all the independent variables of the study which are affordability, social networks, stakeholder’s involvement and compliance to the UNHabitat standards influence occupancy level of houses in slum upgrading projects. The study recommends that the Government of Kenya should take immediate deliberate steps to ensure that well targeted and transparent house rent subsidies are developed for the lower percentile income groups; slum upgrading projects should be implemented through improved urban planning practices coupled with recommended inbuilt poverty eradication measures; slum upgrading projects should be designed and planned in such a way that they provide for open air community spaces for small scale retail businesses; Community members should be encouraged to participate through a participatory approach to strengthen the citizen’s voice at all stages of the project cycle and finally the UN-Habitat standards should be integrated as part of the slum upgrading policies to ensure that at a minimum the houses are affordable, in a good location with availability of services, habitable, accessible, have security of tenure and cultural adequacy.